Changes
by Cheyennes
Summary: The team knew it only took seconds for a successful mission to go off the rails. This was one of those times and there would be far-reaching impacts. As the saying goes, "When one door closes another one opens".
1. Chapter 1

Changes

Landstuhl, Germany

When other members of the military described their team, it was by saying they were the best of the best. The tip of the spear. They weren't wrong. McG knew their team was strong and capable but that didn't mean that they weren't human. It didn't mean that they didn't bleed, suffer, and even die. Right now, what they were going through, rattled all of them.

He leaned against the door frame of Adam's hospital room and took in the scene in front of him. In the semi-darkness, he saw Jaz perched on the edge of a small uncomfortable chair. She'd pulled it up to the side of Adam's hospital bed on her first visit to his room. It definitely wouldn't be her last. In fact, she'd been sitting in almost that exact same spot for three days. Trying desperately to silently will him some of her strength while alternately badgering him to wake up. She'd only leave his side when the rest of the team forced the issue.

Based on her current position, slumped over with her forehead on his mattress, she'd finally succumbed to exhaustion. She looked terribly uncomfortable but he didn't want to disturb her. If he did wake her he knew what the outcome would be. She would sit up, say she was fine, and hold Adam's large hand tighter in her small one. She wasn't fine. None of them would be until Adam woke up. _If_ he woke up. The thought that he might not was a possibility that kept McG from sleeping at night.

He couldn't stop the memories of the moments that had led to their current situation. They kept flashing through his mind at random times. Everything had been going so well that day. They'd been driving across the desert after yet another successful mission. The conversation had revolved around whose turn it was to cook dinner and just how badly it would suck if it was anyone but Amir.

The next thing he'd known he was flat on his back with sand and debris filtering down around him like snow. An IED had changed everything. He'd staggered to his feet quickly knowing that seconds counted when dealing with traumatic injuries. Fortunately, Amir and Preach had been within view and had already been getting themselves to their feet. Their injuries appeared to be minor.

"Good?" he'd asked.

He got a thumbs up from the both of them. On the other hand, Jaz and Adam were nowhere to be seen. He'd limped over to what was left of their SUV which, thanks to the force of the explosion, was now on it's side. Carefully he'd crawled through the back where the rear windshield had once been. The first thing he'd noticed was the blood liberally splattered around the inside of the vehicle. His anxiety had spiked when he'd leaned over the back seat and saw Adam's motionless form crumpled against the door frame. A deep gash in his head had bled freely and soaked into what was once a khaki shirt. He'd certainly looked better. Courtesy of some acrobatic-like maneuvers, he'd snaked his hand down to Adam's neck and felt the flutter of a steady but weak pulse.

Outside he'd caught a glimpse of Preach trying to look under the vehicle to make sure it hadn't rolled over on Jaz. He'd sent up a prayer that wasn't the case before he'd focused back on the patient he could help. He'd pulled a C-collar from his medical bag. Fortunately the bag had remained strapped in it's spot in the rear of the vehicle. Not having to search for it was one of the few bright spots since the explosion. It was as he was snapping the collar in place that he'd heard a weak moan that definitely wasn't Adam's. Preach had heard it as well and had quickly climbed into the back of the vehicle. With his assistance, they'd carefully rolled their CO over in the limited space. As they'd moved him they'd uncovered Jaz's smaller but equally battered body. She'd been completely covered by the larger man and was also non-responsive. Neither of them had been in good shape but at least they'd been alive. He'd cared for them as best as he could with the supplies he'd had at hand The minutes they'd had to wait for DC to get a rescue chopper to them had been some of the scariest of his life. He'd feared he would lose one or both of them to some unseen injury before help arrived. It was a miracle that hadn't happened.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thanks for the review, follows, and private messages. I wasn't sure there were still people checking out this board so it was nice to see that there are still so many fans of the show following along.

McG shook his head to clear the memories and pulled himself back to the present. He wished this was all just a nightmare from which he could wake up. Since it wasn't, he needed to control what he could, and that meant keeping an eye on Jaz.

The room was far from a quiet place so the fact that Jaz was sleeping just proved how tired she'd become. Between the ventilator breathing for Adam, and the monitors tracking his vital signs, there was steady background noise. He walked across the small distance, crouched down next to Jaz, and carefully pushed her hair behind her ear. Other than rolling her face in his direction, she continued to sleep. He looked at the steri-strips on her forehead. They were covering the stitches that closed a deep gash up at her hairline. He confirmed that they were still intact and that the wound showed no further bleeding. The smaller cuts and scrapes within view were still glistening with the antibiotic ointment he'd been applying over them for the last several days. From his position he could see the cast on her broken right arm and there was no unusual swelling above it. Her clothing covered the severe bruising of her abdomen along with the three broken ribs no one but an X-ray machine could see. There was nothing he could do to help with those injuries. She really needed to be in a hospital bed herself, but when they'd told her Adam was in the ICU, she'd refused further medical treatment, and signed out against medical advice. Not a single member of the team had been surprised.

Since the accident, Deputy Director Campbell had spoken with each of them on the phone multiple times. She was the one who'd encouraged him not to push Jaz about her decision. As she pointed out, at least she was still in the hospital building, and if her condition deteriorated, it would be easy enough to get her readmitted. An added bonus was that this way she wasn't overexerting herself. It wasn't like she'd been moving around much since she'd taken up residence in Adam's room. Except for bathroom trips, forced trips to the cafeteria to eat, and one very long and painful attempt at a shower, she'd pretty much stayed in the chair.

The entire team knew why she struggled to leave Adam's room. She wouldn't be pleased to know that her mild concussion symptoms, combined with the effects of her pain medication, meant every thought and emotion was clearly displayed on her face. This included her fear that Adam would die if she left his bedside. The thought that she wouldn't be there was more risk than she could tolerate. Even Preach couldn't comfort her enough to make her feel like it was safe to leave. If Preach couldn't get through to her, McG and Amir knew they didn't have a chance.

Every second Jaz was awake she spent reading and talking to Adam in hopes of reaching him in his coma. In fact, based on the upside down book on the floor, she'd fallen asleep mid-story. McG knew Adam needed to do something major soon or Jaz was going to run herself into the ground both physically and mentally.

Unfortunately, Adam was a mess. Most of his ribs were either cracked or broken, as was an arm, a leg, and several of his fingers. His skull fracture and subsequent brain bleed were the most severe injuries. His prognosis was still uncertain at this point, and until he woke from the coma he'd fallen into, they wouldn't really know what the effects would be. But what McG feared was that Adam would no longer be able to command their team in the field.

Amir and Preach had already realized that was a very real possibility. Preach was seriously considering retirement if that possibility become a reality. Amir wasn't sure what he'd do next. McG didn't think that Jaz had even thought that far ahead. She was solely focused on the present.

He stood and looked down at her taking in her pale face. Her blood work showed something he hadn't expected. Elevated HcG levels indicating a pregnancy. She'd signed herself out before her treating doctor had discussed it with her but it was part of the transfer of care report McG had received. He'd read it no less than four times and the information was still sinking in. McG realized this information would not be welcome news. It certainly didn't fit into her current life plan.

The entire team knew Jaz had deep feelings for Adam and they also knew that he felt the same. However, since a relationship wasn't an option for them right now, they'd both continued to date occasionally. Several weeks before this most recent mission, they'd had liberty in the local city near the base. Jaz had paired off with one of the locals and disappeared until morning. McG assumed that man would be the father of her child. He still wasn't sure how he was going to break the news to her. He kept hoping that the right opportunity would come along soon and with it the words he needed. All he knew for certain was that now was definitely not the time.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I've really enjoyed all of your comments from the first two chapters. Particularly the shock related to Jaz's current condition. :) I'm back to work tomorrow so I wanted to leave you with one more chapter before I get back to the daily grind.

Another week passed as Jaz continued to stay at Adam's bedside pretty much around the clock. It had been ten days since they'd been injured and, while her wounds were beginning to heal, it was apparent that she was fast reaching the end of her ability to cope with Adam's situation. It was to the point now where she was barely eating or sleeping. The only thing she was doing consistently was worrying.

Just the night before Amir had walked into the hotel suite he was sharing with Preach. Preach and McG had paused in their card game taking in the concern on Amir's face.

"What's wrong? Is Top okay?" McG asked.

"No change."

"Yet I still get the feeling something is wrong," Preach stated.

"Jaz. Jaz is what's wrong."

"What happened, Amir?" Preach asked.

The smaller man took a seat on the couch before sharing what he'd seen.

"I decided to stop in to check on Top one last time before bed. I stepped into the room and Jaz was crying on his chest. Not the occasional tear that we've seen her brush away. This was full out sobbing. She was begging him to wake up. It was heartbreaking."

"McG and I knew this was coming. She's exhausted and their relationship is. . . a close one," Preach said.

"What happened when she realized you were there?" McG asked.

"She stuffed her feelings back down. I tried talking to her but she didn't want to talk about it. She wanted to pretend it hadn't happened."

"It's how she copes. Maybe not the healthiest way but it is her way. When Elijah passed away she didn't want to talk about it either. She cried in private. All she'd accept from Preach and I was the occasional hug. Of course, we needed the hug just as much as she did. We were well aware we could have easily lost both of them that day. Top used a different approach. He made a point of spending a lot of time just staring at the stars and somehow he got her to join him. As far as I know, he never actually talked to her about Elijah's loss. Yet somehow he managed to give her the support she needed. He would be able to help Jaz better than any of us," McG said.

After a long conversation they came to the conclusion that they couldn't make Jaz talk to them. However, seeing the depth of her pain had a significant impact on Amir. He began to spend more time in Adam's room so she wouldn't be alone as much with a non-responsive Adam. Preach and McG were happy to see this evidence of how much their relationship had improved. They could remember the tension of the early days when Amir had first joined the team.

Thirteen long days after the IED that could have taken their lives, McG walked into Adam's room to find Jaz sleeping with her head on his shoulder. He did a double take when he realized Adam's eyes were finally open. In fact, Adam had moved his own unbroken arm so that he could rest his hand on the skin above Jaz's cast. McG walked over to the side opposite Jaz with a smile on his face, "Look who's awake! It's so good to see you!"

Adam gently tapped two of his unbroken fingers against Jaz's skin.

"Jaz? She should be okay. You covered her with your body when the SUV flipped over and you took the majority of the injuries. Her arm is broken, she got a gash on her head, a concussion, and a few broken ribs. She'll recover with time and rest. Unfortunately, she hasn't been getting much rest because she hasn't wanted to leave you. Don't worry if she wakes up and seems a little "off". She's exhausted. The important thing now is that you're awake which will ease her worries."

Adam motioned his fingers in a circle.

"How are the rest of us?"

The injured man very carefully nodded his head.

"We're fine. Nothing life threatening. You were hurt the most severely. We've just been waiting for you to wake up. In fact, I'm going to let your doctors know and then I'll move Jaz out of the way so they can examine you."

Adam indicated his agreement and McG walked out to the nurses' station to let them know Adam was awake and surprisingly coherent. He wasn't fighting the ventilator or trying to remove any of his monitors. Of course McG knew this wasn't Adam's first rodeo. He'd had severe injuries before and this certainly wasn't his first time waking up in a hospital after a mission. The fact that he was more concerned about the rest of the team than himself was more proof that he was a fantastic leader.


	4. Chapter 4

While they were waiting for the doctors to assemble, McG tried waking Jaz gently but Adam motioned that he should stop. Adam was right. He'd just been saying how much Jaz desperately needed the rest. Instead he crouched down and very carefully pulled her back from Adam's chest into his arms. He picked her up out of the chair, carried her over to the corner of the couch, and settled her in his lap where Adam could still see her.

The medical staff took in the scene when they entered the room and were quiet as they spoke with their patient. They, too, had been worried about the young woman that refused to leave the bedside. Adam motioned that he wanted them to take the breathing tube out. The doctors were hesitant but also concerned that he might try to remove it himself if they didn't. After a quick breathing test, the staff agreed it would be worth trying. The respiratory therapist arrived a few minutes later and put him on a nasal cannula to provide supportive oxygen. They medicated him and pulled the ET tube out when his muscles relaxed. Other than a quiet cough, and some discomfort apparent on his face, he did fine. His oxygen saturation stayed in a good range and McG gave him a thumbs up from his spot on the couch. He watched as Adam's eyes drifted shut again and the doctors filed out of the room looking relieved. McG watched over both Adam and Jaz as they rested.

About an hour later, Jaz started to stir. It wasn't long afterwards when she bolted upright and ran into the bathroom. He could hear her retching as she emptied what little was in her stomach. There was a pause for a few minutes and then he could hear the sound of her brushing her teeth. She looked like crap when she came back into the main room. Instead of walking back to McG, she headed in the direction of where her chair had been before the doctors had moved it.

"Come sit over here with me, Jaz," he told her as he patted the spot next to him.

She stopped and looked at him for a second before heading his way. It didn't appear that she had the energy to fight him over seating arrangements. He was also certain her ribs were killing her after tossing her cookies. She carefully lowered herself to the couch and sat stiffly a small distance away. He wrapped his arm around her waist and carefully pulled her over toward him until she was settled against his side.

"You need to take better care of yourself, Jaz. You can't keep this up."

She sighed because she knew he was right. Every day she thought for sure would be the day that Adam woke up and every day he remained still and silent. She couldn't keep up her vigil indefinitely.

McG rested his cheek against the top of her head for a bit. He was trying to gather his thoughts before having the conversation that couldn't wait any longer.

"We need to talk about something serious, Jaz."

She tensed in anticipation. He was going to tell her things were going to change with the operation of her team whether she wanted them to or not. She had already realized Adam probably wouldn't be able to go back into the field after these injuries. It would be hard to hear but she'd be okay with it if she just knew he would live. Before she could lose herself in those worries, McG's voice pulled her back.

"Your blood test showed elevated HcG levels when you were admitted."

"Okay."

Not at all what she'd expected him to say but she'd roll with it.

"Do you know what that means, Jaz?"

"Of course not. I'm not a doctor, McG," she said tiredly.

"I know, but you're a woman, so I thought you might be familiar with the term."

"Well, you were wrong."

"Elevated HcG levels means there's a good chance that you're pregnant," he said softly.

She stiffened. Denial was the first thing that came to mind. She was on birth control, she wasn't due for another injection for a few more weeks, and her cycle was irregular at the best of times and this was far from that. On the other hand, pregnancy would certainly explain the exhaustion and constant low level nausea she'd been battling. Those symptoms had seemed more severe than she'd anticipated based on her injuries alone. Lately, she'd started to worry that maybe she had an injury that had been missed. Being pregnant was a thought that certainly hadn't crossed her mind. All she could think now was, _What the_ _hell am I going to do?!_

McG's heart clenched as he felt a tear splash onto his forearm. He'd wanted to tell her so that she'd have time to make decisions about what she wanted to do. But it felt like he was kicking her when she was already down. He watched as she kept looking over in Adam's general direction. She didn't seem to notice that he was off the ventilator.

"He'll understand, Jaz. None of us are monks or nuns."

She shook her head slightly before turning her lips close to his shoulder and whispering, "If there's a baby, it's his."

Huh?! McG hadn't expected that information. How the heck had he and the rest of the team missed the change in their relationship?

"How long has _this_ been going on?"

"Just that one night we were on liberty. I left with one guy but he wasn't who I wanted. I ended up waiting in front of Adam's room for him to come back. We'd both had too much to drink and one thing led to another. We didn't regret it, but we decided not to tell anyone, and not to repeat it."

"He was that bad in bed, was he?"

Jaz actually blushed and McG chuckled before giving her a tighter squeeze. Apparently that hadn't been the problem.

"Okay. I won't tease. No matter what happens next, we'll handle it."

He sat with her in silence but he could practically hear the wheels turning in her head. She and Adam would need to talk and decisions would need to be made. Fortunately, none of that needed to happen today.

He was about to point out the positive changes in Adam's condition when he realized she'd drifted back off to sleep. There was no reason to wake her so he took advantage of the opportunity to grab a nap as well.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Thanks for your ongoing support and enthusiasm for this story. I really do enjoy your reviews. Hopefully you will enjoy this next chapter as much as you've enjoyed the previous ones.

A sound pulled him awake and the clock on the wall showed three hours had passed. He looked toward the bed noting that Adam was looking over at them.

"She okay?" Adam's voice rasped.

"She's really tired. She hasn't wanted to leave your side. If she's had thirty hours of sleep since you've been here, I'd be surprised. A few hours ago she woke up for a bit but she wasn't awake long enough for me to point out that you'd been awake and were breathing on your own."

"How long have I been here? I hurt but not like I'd expect. I feel weak more than anything."

"It's closing in on 2 ½ weeks and I expect you'll be here a couple more."

Jaz opened her eyes at the sound of the voices, looked up at McG, glanced in Adam's direction, and sat up looking stunned.

"Top?," she whispered.

"Last I checked."

Jaz continued to sit next to McG as if she was frozen. McG realized she probably thought she was dreaming. He stood in front of her and put out his hands for her to grasp. When her cold fingers met his he pulled her to her feet. Once he was sure she was steady, he came up with a reason why he needed to be anywhere but here.

"I'm going to grab us some coffee, Jaz. You're in charge of keeping an eye on him," he told her as he left the room to give them privacy.

Adam watched as silent tears rolled down Jaz's face. She wasn't moving from where McG had left her.

"I can't come to you, Jaz," he said quietly.

She took a few steps and hovered at the bedside until he tapped a spot on the mattress next to his hip, "Sit down and let me take a look at you."

She settled where he'd suggested and he took in her healing scrapes and the signs of recently removed sutures in her head. There was no hiding the dark circles under her eyes or the cheekbones that were much too apparent.

"You okay?"

"Better than you," she sniffed and wiped at the tears she couldn't seem to control.

He rested a hand over hers where it lay on the mattress, "I'll be okay. Maybe not field capable but I

knew I couldn't do this job forever. I've been lucky to make it this far. Patricia's been trying to bring me back to DC permanently for a number of months now. She might just get her wish. It looks like there are big changes ahead."

_You have no idea_, she thought.

"We should probably talk about us, Jaz. We've been putting it off. If I take the new position things can change if you want. No more hiding how we feel and time to actually explore our connection more."

Jaz hardly let him finish before she blurted out her news, "I'm pregnant. Well, McG, thinks I'm pregnant."

Silence filled the room and he took a minute to look at her before responding. She looked. . . . scared. While they weren't words he'd ever expected her to say to him, it certainly wasn't the end of the world. In fact, the more her news sank in, the more excited he was getting. Suddenly he realized he might be getting ahead of himself.

"Mine?"

She rolled her eyes at him, "Of course it's yours. How bad is your head injury? You forgot your basic biology?"

"No, just checking," he chuckled, "You didn't say how far along you are so I needed clarification."

"Before our night together, I hadn't been with anyone for close to a year."

Adam was certainly surprised to hear that information. She'd had plenty of male attention. They must have all been idiots.

"All those times you paired off?"

"Just drinking and dancing. It never got any further."

"Waiting for me, were you?"

She laughed, "I see there's nothing wrong with your ego. Plus, if I had waited on you, I'd still be waiting. You'll remember I made the first move."

He smiled at her because she was right. Only a second later he sobered up at the thought that she had been dealing with this new situation alone.

"How're you doing with McG's news?"

"Honestly, I'm trying not to think about it. You know I never planned on being anyone's mother and there's just so much other stuff to focus on right now. Getting us both well has to be the priority."

Adam wanted to talk more about how she was feeling but he knew Jaz. She struggled to understand her own emotions after years of blocking them out in order to survive her childhood. If she needed to focus on something else for the time being, he would let it go, but eventually this conversation was going to happen.

"Speaking of getting us well, how are the others?"

"Everyone got banged up. You were the worst and McG said I was the runner up. McG had some bruised ribs, Amir had a mild concussion and some scrapes, and Preach needed some sutures in a few places from flying debris. I'm sure you'll have a chance to see them soon. They come in and out all day long to visit since we have rooms in a hotel across the street. In fact, if McG is off updating them, I expect we'll see them momentarily. Deputy Director Campbell told them they could stay here with us until you and I were both well enough to return stateside."

It occurred to him that he had no idea where they were right now.

"Where are we?"

"Germany. You and I were life-flighted here after being stabilized in the field."

He did not find it reassuring that she'd needed to be life-flighted as well. Even before he knew about the pregnancy he would have been concerned but now he was even more so.

"McG says you've been here around the clock. I appreciate it but you should go with the boys when they leave to get some solid rest, Jaz."

"I'd rather stay."

McG arrived back just in time to hear the tail end of their conversation, "He's right, Jaz. You need sleep. My room has two beds so you're bunking with me. Plus now that Top's awake he's going to be busy with scans and OT/PT. There's no benefit to you just sitting here when he isn't even in the room."

She could tell she wasn't going to win this argument. They both had their most stubborn expressions on their faces.

Amir and Preach arrived at that moment with restaurant bags in their hands. They took in the scene in front of them. Preach walked over and laid a hand gently on Adam's shoulder, "It's good to see you awake. We were starting to worry."

Amir seconded his sentiment before waving a bag of food at Jaz, "It's time to eat, Jaz. We're going to the cafeteria."

She looked torn. Preach settled the issue, "I'm going to stay here the whole time, Jaz. Go and take a break."

"Okay. I won't be gone long," she told Adam.

"I'll be fine, Jaz. You go with Amir and McG and take your time."


	6. Chapter 6

Preach waited to speak until Jaz and Amir were well down the hallway with McG behind them, "She's been on edge for a while Adam. Don't be surprised if she's a bit more difficult than usual."

"Jaz? Difficult? Say it ain't so," Adam said with a chuckle, "Just kidding, Preach. I'll be patient. I know not being in control is hard for her. It's a trait we both share."

"Very true."

"Speaking of not being in control, she got some news today."

"What kind of news?"

"There's a good chance she's pregnant which means I'm going to be a father."

"Wait. . . . . . what?"

"You kept telling me to explore our connection and we did."

Preach chuckled, "I didn't mean to tie yourselves to each other for life. I meant you should try to see what you could be to one another. Really though, I shouldn't be surprised, since both of you tend to do things the hard way."

Adam didn't get a chance to defend himself against that comment before a member of the hospital staff arrived to take him down to MRI. Apparently his doctors wanted another picture of his head to make sure there was no additional bleeding. Before he was wheeled away, he gave an order for his second-in-command to enforce.

"Preach, it's getting late. Take everyone back to the hotel after dinner for some rest and tell Jaz I don't want to see her until morning."

"I'll do my best."

Preach discovered that it wasn't easy to convince Jaz, but three against one, and taking Adam's wishes into account, she finally agreed. McG took over from there escorting her back to their room.

"Not bad, huh?" he said as she walked with him into the suite.

Jaz was surprised. When he said he had two beds she thought he meant one room with two beds. She didn't realize it was a two bedroom suite connected in the middle by a sitting area and small kitchen.

"Much better than many of the places we've stayed in," she said.

"No kidding. I know it's a little early for bed but I'm tired. I'm going to watch TV in my room for a while. What are you going to do?"

"I think I'll make an attempt at another shower and do so the same."

"Sounds like a plan. If you don't feel right, you let me know. If you need anything at all, you let me know."

She nodded and retreated to her space. The shower was accomplished with much less pain than her previous attempts and she felt like a new person. After crawling under the covers, and turning on the TV, she fell asleep without even seeing what show she had turned on. The next thing she knew the clock showed it was 3 am and she felt like she was crawling out of her skin. She couldn't stop thinking about Adam. What if he'd gotten worse? What if he couldn't sleep and was lonely? She dressed as quickly as her injuries would allow and put her hair in a simple braid. She didn't want McG to worry so she taped a note to her door letting him know where she went.

It was a quick walk back over to the hospital. As she entered Adam's darkened room she realized her worries were for naught. His breathing was deep and steady in sleep and he looked stable when she scanned him from head to toe. Everything seemed okay but she wasn't going back to the hotel. Being careful not to disturb him, she curled up in the corner of the couch and watched him.

By the time Adam opened his eyes it was close to 10 am and from his position in the bed he could see Jaz sleeping on the couch. Her head was resting on a pillow, she was covered with a blanket, had a washcloth around the back of her neck, and a basin located close by on the floor.

A nurse walked in to check on him and whispered when she where his focus had landed, "Your friend must have picked up a virus."

"She's sick?"

"When I checked on you at 8 am I accidentally disturbed her and she barely made it to the bathroom before she lost what little she had in her stomach. I actually thought she was going to pass out when she tried walking back to the couch. I got her settled, gave her some ginger ale, had her eat a couple crackers, and encouraged her to go back to sleep. It wasn't too hard."

Adam felt badly that he hadn't woken up at the sound of her illness but they were still medicating him for pain. Every time they gave him his nighttime dose he was out cold for hours. Looking back at Jaz, he knew there was a good chance this was no virus but rather morning sickness. McG had already told him it could actually happen morning, noon, or night. As if he had summoned him, McG stepped in the room looking harried but subsequently relieved by the sight of Jaz on the couch.

"I swear she snuck out on me this morning, Top. She did at least leave me a note. I just wish I had noticed it sooner. I thought she was still sleeping."

"Karen here was just telling me Jaz isn't feeling well. Got sick a couple hours ago."

McG had a look of concern on his face as he walked over and put a hand gently on her forehead, "She's a little clammy. We should just let her sleep it off. Karen, would it be possible to get a cold drink and some saltines in here for when she wakes up?"

"No problem. I already gave her some earlier and it did seem to help."

McG shared a significant glance with Adam. Jaz wasn't sick and they both knew it. They would have to take her new situation into account as they planned their days.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Thanks for your ongoing interest in this story. Your reviews make me smile and I do read them all. Here is the next chapter in this tale.

The nurse took a few minutes to assess Adam and McG was pleased by what he heard. According to Karen, Adam would be leaving the ICU later in the day. If all went well, plans would be made for him to return Stateside by the end of the week. In fact, all of them would be returning Stateside to wait to see what the future would hold.

Once the nurse had finished her examination, McG had left with Adam's encouragement to see the sights before they left Germany. From his spot in the bed, he spent his day watching over Jaz. She slept well into the mid-afternoon before finally opening her eyes.

"Jaz, before you sit up, McG said to eat a few saltines and take a couple sips of ginger ale. The food is on a tray on the floor next to you."

She turned her head to look at him, "I feel okay now."

"Good. I'd like it to stay that way so let's follow his advice, okay?"

She reached blindly down for the can of soda and a couple packs of saltines before slowly propping her head up on the pillow. Adam tried not to stare at her but sometimes her beauty caught him off guard. Tendrils of her dark, silky hair had come loose from her braid and framed her face. It reminded him of the morning after their one night together. He knew the memory had put a goofy smile on his face. Fortunately Jaz was so focused on her snack that she didn't notice.

McG walked back in as she was finishing her saltines, "Hey, Sleeping Beauty, how are you feeling?"

"Good enough to come over there and knock you out," she replied testily.

"Top, are you going to let her threaten me?"

"With a comment like that you had to know what kind of response you were going to get."

"So this is what it's going to be like going forward? The two of you against the rest of us?"

"Oh, please. Like I need Top to help me handle you," she said dismissively.

McG and Adam shared a smile. She was obviously feeling well enough to give them sass.

The next four days settled into a routine. The team members took turns staying with Adam and Jaz during the day and then everyone but Adam left shortly before dinner to return to the hotel to eat and relax until the next morning. While Jaz kept sneaking over to the hospital early, she was certainly getting more rest than she had been.

After much consideration, Preach had indeed decided to retire. He loved his job but he loved his family more. Deputy Director Campbell was already aware that he was going to muster out in six months. Since the team would be in a holding pattern for about that long anyway, she'd arranged for him and the rest of the uninjured team members to provide training for those months in DC. Amir was going to be teaching foreign language classes, McG would be teaching ways to provide medical care by improvising with available supplies, and Preach would be teaching breaching techniques. Adam and Jaz were on medical leave until further notice so they didn't need assignments. However, everyone on the team was well aware that the Deputy Director likely already had something in mind for them.

Finally the day of Adam's transfer arrived and everyone could tell that Jaz was a nervous wreck. Adam was traveling by medical transport while they rest of them were traveling via standard transport plane. The team checked in with Adam in the morning and then left Jaz behind for some private with him. When McG went back to get her, he thought she looked less stressed. It amazed him how good Adam was at reading her and being able to provide what she needed in any given situation.

Since McG knew Adam was in excellent hands, he spent his time focusing on Jaz. Their flight was no frills. Bench seats on each side of the plan and hammocks in the middle. Once they were at altitude Preach and Amir settled into the hammocks. McG popped in his ear buds to listen to music while Jaz pulled out a tablet to watch a couple of movies. The first half of the flight was fine but the second half was less so. McG could see that Jaz was getting restless. He watched as she started shifting around in her seat moments before she suddenly dropped her head between her knees. McG pulled out his ear buds and placed a hand on her back. He noticed her T-shirt was wet with perspiration.

"What's happening, Jaz?"

"I'm so dizzy. I want to get off the plane."

He couldn't prevent the smile that appeared on his face but he was careful to keep it out of his voice, "There's only one way off and I don't think jumping out of the plane is going to help. Keep your eyes closed for a minute and we'll try something different."

He reached over and grabbed his fleece jacket from the floor and quickly folded it in his lap. Using his hands on her shoulders, he directed her onto her side stretched out with her head in his lap. He gently unbraided her hair and brushed his hand soothingly through the silky length. After a while he exhaled in relief when he felt her breathing even out into sleep. It sucked that she wasn't feeling well again. In recent days she'd seemed much better. The constant jostling of the flight wasn't helping her any. Fortunately she slept through the rest of the flight, and by the time they joined Adam in his new room, she assured him she was feeling much better.

"How was your flight, Top?" McG asked.

"Best military flight I've ever had," he said with a smile," I had a comfortable bed and everything."

"Rub it in," Jaz said.

"While I was waiting for you to arrive, the staff already had me up and scooting around with that cart over there in the corner. I was wondering how I was going to get around when I can't use crutches."

Amir looked at the cart and then back to him, "And they didn't take it out of the room when they were done? Clearly they don't know you well enough to know that you'll be out of that bed more than in it now that you have the means to do so."

"Not true. I plan to follow the doctor's advice to the letter."

"Yes, you will," said a voice that was very familiar to them.

They all turned to see Deputy Director Campbell in the doorway.

"Yes, ma'am. It's good to see you," Adam said.

"It's good to see you all too though I certainly wish the circumstances were different."

"I think it's safe to say we'd all agree with you."

"How were your flights? Any issues?," she asked.

They filled her in on those details and then the conversational topics varied for another half hour before she was called away. Before she left, they made rough plans to meet up for dinner at one of Adam's favorite restaurants once he was out of the hospital. A day that couldn't come soon enough for Adam. He hadn't been so sedentary in over a decade and he was ready to do just about anything that would get him out of bed.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews for the last chapter. Several of you asked when Jaz and Adam would have their conversation. I read the story again only to discover I had never actually written a conversation. It was just assumed that it had occurred which I realized wasn't good enough. I've added in that much awaited conversation. Enjoy!

A few days after his transfer to the States, Adam was laying in wait for Jaz. He'd texted the rest of the guys to tell them to stay away until lunch. Today was going to be the day he and Jaz talked whether she liked it or not. He'd already tried to lure her into conversations about them, or the baby in general, but she'd been evasive. Actually evasive was probably too mild of a word. She was avoiding the conversations completely either through announcing she needed to make a phone call or developing a sudden need to use the bathroom. Things were going to go differently today.

He was sitting up in his bed waiting when she entered the room around her usual early morning hour. She was clearly surprised to see him alert.

"Are you okay? You usually aren't awake this early in the morning," she said with concern.

"I'm fine, Jaz. I just wanted to talk to you and I figured this was the best time. We're less likely to have interruptions."

He could tell she already knew where he was going with this conversation. She was starting to pale under his gaze and he hadn't even gotten started yet.

"Sit down on the edge of the bed, Jaz."

She reluctantly did so, but he could tell that with one wrong word from him, she'd be gone. He laced his fingers through hers in hopes that the connection would keep her in that spot. She was staring at their entwined hands as if she'd never seen such a thing.

"I'm starting to feel a lot better. How about you, Jaz?"

"I'm okay."

"You didn't really want to talk about "us" before but I think we need to have at least a little chat. Okay?"

She shrugged while still avoiding eye contact.

"Can you look at me?"

She swallowed hard before her eyes jumped to his, "I don't know how this happened."

"How what happened? You don't know how you got pregnant?"

She looked at him like he was an idiot, "Of course I know how I got pregnant. I just don't know how we went from two people that worked together and jumped right to two people who are having a baby together. Neither of us even wanted kids!"

Adam listened to what she was saying and thought about what she was trying to express. Neither of them were particularly good at the emotional stuff but he thought they'd both agree that he was the better of the two. He was hoping that all his time with Xander Martin, counselor extraordinaire, was about to pay off.

"I've had a lot of time to think about "us" while I've been stuck in bed. This wasn't all that sudden, Jaz. Think back to when you first joined the team and compare it to now. We hardly ever spoke one-on-one at the beginning. The rest of the team was always around as a buffer. It's really been over the last six months or so that we've broken off into a smaller team within the team. We've spent more time alone together with plenty of late night and early morning conversations. We've gotten to the point where some of our conversations don't even need words. There's also been more casual physical contact over time as well."

Jaz started to rise from the bed but settled back down when she realized he was still holding her hand. It was probably the first time she didn't want contact with him. She wanted to get up and pace around the room.

"I don't know if I can do this, Adam. A relationship?! A baby?!"

He could hear the stress in her voice. She was scared. Heck, he was scared, but for different reasons. He could lose her if he didn't handle this just right.

"Can I ask you a question, Jaz?"

"I don't think I can say no, can I?"

"No but I'm hoping this will be an easy answer. Do you care for me?"

She broke eye contact and he let her.

"You know I do," she replied barely above a whisper.

"I care about you too. More than I was ever supposed to care about you."

She looked at him again as he gently squeezed her hand, "It's okay that we don't have all the answers to the mystery of "us". Relationships take time to evolve and ours has been doing so without us noticing. Before you deny it, I'll give you an example. Was it hard for you to get to the point where you were standing outside my hotel room waiting for me?"

She blushed, "No."

"And I certainly didn't turn you away, did I?"

"No."

"I wanted you, Jaz. I still want you. I've just put all my cards on the table. Do you know how you feel about me?"

There was a heavy silence in the room. If it had been anyone else he would have wondered if they were ignoring him or trying to come up with the right words to handle him. However, in this case, he knew that she was thinking and then trying to put what she felt into words. After a little time had passed she finally spoke.

"I want to be with you. I'd be unhappy if I couldn't see you everyday. I've even started having dreams about you holding me close again like you did that night."

"I'm looking forward to getting back to that point again too. I think we've established that we're on the same page as to our relationship going forward. We'll shelve that for the moment and move onto the topic of the baby we made together."

Jaz squeezed his hand so tightly that he barely contained a wince.

"I hope you know I'll support you no matter what you want to do, Jaz. This is your life, and your career, and you'll be the one most impacted by carrying our child."

"I don't know what I want to do. I feel like all the decisions are too hard but I know ignoring it is a decision too. What you you want to do?"

He carefully rolled onto his side making room for her in the bed. With his encouragement she stretched out next to him and he brushed his thumb gently across her cheek.

"I'd love to have a little piece of the two of us running around. I think we can manage it. We certainly couldn't do any worse than our parents, right?"

"I guess not," she replied though he could still hear the fear of the unknown in her voice.

He leaned closer and pressed a kiss to her forehead before tilting her chin up and pressing his lips to hers. Several tiny kisses later and she was more relaxed than she'd been since he'd started this conversation.

"I'd like to try to make this work," she said quietly.

"That's all I needed to know. We'll figure things out as we go. Don't be shy about letting me know if you don't feel things are going well. Even if you aren't sure why you feel that way. We can look at what we're doing to figure out where the problem lies. I don't want you to feel like you need to know all the answers before you talk to me."

"I always know the answers," she said teasingly because they both knew that wasn't true.

"You keep telling yourself that," he said with a smile as he pulled her in close.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Thanks again for all of the reviews. I'm glad you are still enjoying the story. Of course, with such great characters to base it on, how could you not? ;)

After Adam and Jaz had their conversation, two more weeks of inpatient rehab passed peacefully as Adam got stronger and Jaz got more rest. He finally heard the words he'd been waiting to hear: discharge date. There would be another week of treatments he needed to complete as an inpatient but then he could switch to outpatient treatments. He was looking forward to seeing Jaz's face when he told her that freedom from the hospital was just around the corner. However, when she walked into his room, Preach and McG were on either side of her hovering and casting worried glances in her direction. Suddenly telling her about his anticipated discharge date was the last thing on his mind.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing. They're fussing. I'm not feeling well but it'll pass. It always does," Jaz assured him.

"Anything I can do for you?"

"No, I just need to sit down for a little bit."

Jaz turned toward the couch but crumpled to the ground before she could reach it. Only McG's quick lunge prevented her from hitting her head on the unforgiving concrete floor. As she had collapsed, Adam had also launched out of bed before remembering he couldn't walk unassisted. The fact that he couldn't be the one to help her irritated him immensely. Lowering himself back down onto the edge of the bed, he watched intently as McG crouched beside her checking her vitals.

"What's wrong, McG?," Adam asked anxiously.

"I'm not sure yet though I do have a general idea. I'm going to take her down to the ED to be evaluated which will likely take a few hours. You have your cell with you?"

"Yes. I just charged it last night."

"Keep it close, Top, and I'll call you with updates."

McG carefully picked her up from the floor and carried her out into the hallway where a staff member located a gurney. He lowered her her to the soft surface and pushed her downstairs to the emergency department. They had just been settled into an exam room when movement from the gurney caught his attention.

"Ouch," Jaz whispered.

He pulled a chair close to her side, "What hurts, Jaz?"

"Everything aches. Stop moving the bed," she demanded as she opened her eyes.

"I'm not moving it. You're dizzy. Close your eyes again and just rest until the doctor comes to see us."

"I'll be fine in a few minutes."

He kept his own counsel but he wanted to point out that she had said pretty much the exact same thing right before she'd passed out for fifteen minutes. He wasn't going to believe her this time.

Jaz cracked her eyes open again in his direction, "I'm not kidding, McG. I'm not staying down here."

The ringing of his phone saved him from having to reply. Seeing Adam's name on the screen was a relief since he could pass the responsibility of managing Jaz onto him. He gave Adam a quick update including Jaz's insistence that she was fine and that she didn't need to stay in the ED. He was all but ordered to hand the phone to Jaz, and under Adam's cross-examination, she admitted she still wasn't feeling well. McG didn't know what Adam ultimately said to her but Jaz settled back down on the bed as she handed the phone back to him. Time passed in silence and she ultimately fell asleep while they waited to be seen. Her exhaustion was apparent as she slept through the blood draw that had been ordered. It certainly made the process easier for everyone involved. A doctor finally came in a half hour later and McG spoke with him softly before gently waking Jaz so the doctor could introduce himself.

"Good afternoon, Sergeant Khan. My name is Dr. Miller and I'm one of the OB-GYN's here. I understand from your colleague that you passed out upstairs. He also tells me you've been having some issues with nausea and vomiting?"

"Yes, the nausea is pretty much all the time and the vomiting happens regularly."

Dr. Miller pulled over a stool and sat next to her.

"The information I've gathered so far indicates that this is more than morning sickness. Your weight on the bed scale is 15 lbs less than it was at your last physical. And while your blood work was reassuring overall, you're extremely dehydrated. The dehydration probably accounts for the episode upstairs. How often are you vomiting a day?"

She thought back over the last week, "Anywhere from 3 to 5 times a day."

"Jaz, why didn't you tell me?" McG asked drawing her attention to him.

"I assumed it was par for the course and I just needed to suck it up," she shrugged.

The doctor spoke up before their conversation could deteriorate, "No, this isn't normal. You're experiencing a condition classified as hyperemesis. Think of it like an extreme case of morning sickness. A small percentage of pregnant women suffer with it, particularly in the early stages of pregnancy, and it's pretty miserable while it lasts. I'm going to admit you for IV hydration, IV nutrition, and monitoring. I also understand you haven't had an ultrasound yet?"

"Not yet. There's been a lot going on lately."

"I can see that from the cast on your arm and the suture marks up at your hairline. I understand that you weren't the only one injured? You have a colleague upstairs?"

"Yes, my CO."

"His room is just through the doors from our antepartum unit. I was wondering how you would feel about sharing a room with him?"

"Really?"

"Yes, I'll still round on you, and since your pregnancy is non-viable at this point, the nurses will be providing routine care to you. They don't need to be OB specialists."

"If I could be in the same room that would be great. Our team could just visit us together rather than having to go to two separate rooms."

McG barely kept himself from bursting into laughter. Sure, she wanted to share a room with Adam just to make it easier for them to visit. If he believed that he was sure there was a bridge in Brooklyn up for sale.

The doctor informed them that it would be a couple of hours before they had everything ready for her upstairs. While they waited, IV fluids were started and Jaz settled back for a nap. While she didn't want to admit it, she was feeling worse again. Sleeping was just about the only time she wasn't plagued by nausea.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Thanks again for all your reviews and your ongoing interest in the story. Here's the newest chapter.

Adam looked over from his hospital bed in surprise as another hospital bed containing Jaz was wheeled into his room. McG had called him a while ago, and told him she was being admitted, but he'd just assumed to another floor. This was so much better. He drank in the sight of her curled on her side sleeping. The staff quietly hooked her up to the room monitors before leaving them in peace.

"How is she?," Adam asked McG.

"She's been sleeping for a couple hours now. The fluids have been running about that long and they added some anti-nausea meds to the mix."

"Okay, that sounds good, yet you look sort of pissed off, McG."

"I am pissed off. I can't believe she didn't tell me she's barely been able to keep any food down for over a week. Looking back I saw the signs but I wrote them off. Now I know why she's been looking so uncomfortable. Vomiting so many times a day had to be painful considering her ribs still aren't healed."

"She definitely didn't tell me. In fact, she specifically told me her nausea has been better. The last time I knew it was a problem was that day in Germany when I woke up to find her sleeping on the couch."

"I'm not surprised she told _you _she was getting better. She wants you to focus on you. But me? She's usually happy to complain to me about all sorts of things. I can't believe the one time I wanted her to tell me everything, she suddenly decided to clam up."

"Well, that's going to need to change. She needs to be upfront with us both so she and the baby can get the best care. I'll have to give some thought as to how to convince her to do just that."

They exchanged a glance realizing that was going to be easier said than done. Once Jaz had something in her head it was hard to get her to change it. Adam returned his gaze to Jaz.

"Could you bring my cart over to the bed?"

McG retrieved it for him and Adam quickly got out of bed and mounted it. If not for his broken arm he could have used crutches, which he had achieved master status on years ago, but he was definitely getting better at maneuvering the cart around.

McG watched as he wheeled over to Jaz's bedside and brushed her hair back from where it had fallen over her face. They could both see the sharpness of her cheekbones, the darker circles under her eyes, and the dryness of her skin. When she was awake and moving around those things were much less noticeable.

"What am I going to do with you?," Adam asked aloud.

Jaz stirred and her eyes fluttered open. She smiled when she realized where she was, "Apparently it's your turn to stand while I'm lounging in bed."

"I guess so."

He looked around and realized that McG had quietly left the room.

"Can you make room in there for me?"

She slid over until her back pressed against the bed rail. Within a minute he was stretched out on his side facing her. He pulled her toward him until her forehead was against his chest and his chin was on top of her head.

"I'm glad you're here. I was worried."

"I'm sorry you were alone. McG could have come back up to you once he knew I was going to be fine."

"First of all, I think McG was afraid to leave you for fear that you would sneak out of the ED. Second, I wasn't alone. I had a visitor."

"Who?"

"Patricia stopped by to have a chat."

"What did she want?"

"She'd been notified of your pregnancy and wanted to talk about it. I told her the baby was mine."

"Bet that went over well," she mumbled sarcastically against his chest.

"Actually she said she would have been disappointed if that wasn't the case."

Jaz pulled her head away from his chest to look up at him, "Really?"

"Yes, really," he told her as he pulled her back in close, "I know you haven't known her as long as I have, and she may be our boss, but she wants the people who report to her to be happy. In fact, she supports the relationship. Granted, it'll be easier for her to do that now, since I won't be able to be your CO much longer. My injuries will heal but I'm pretty certain I won't be able to jump out of planes and

hump it for miles afterward. While she was here she offered me a position at the DIA overseeing strategy and tactics. Most of the work would be remote from DC but I'd deploy out in a support role as needed."

His news sat in silence while he waited for Jaz to process it.

"Are you disappointed you won't be in a primarily active role?" she asked.

"Not really. I expected in another couple of years that this would happen as a natural progression in my career. These injuries just moved things up a bit."

He moved his hand until it rested against her stomach and then slid it under the waistband of her sweatpants cupping her lower abdomen, "Plus, I've got other things to look forward to now."

The sensation of his hand against bare skin made her shiver.

He whispered in her ear, "I know what you're thinking, Jaz, but you're too sick and I'm too injured as much as my body would like to try and convince me otherwise. Bed-sport will have to wait."

He smiled at her laugh and pulled his hand out of her pants before wrapping his arms back around her. Eventually she relaxed back into sleep and he felt content. He could lay in bed for hours holding her close. It was a luxury he hadn't had before.

About an hour later he heard footsteps enter the room and recognized Preach's gait. The older man walked around to the other side of Jaz so Adam could see him.

"McG updated us. How's she doing now?"

"She's really tired but the good news is she hasn't gotten sick," he whispered.

"I missed the signs, Adam. I should have been more focused on her health. I know for a fact she isn't exactly transparent when it comes to those matters," Preach said quietly.

"Thinking about that "easy" retrieval mission in Ghana?"

"There was nothing easy about that mission. Realizing I'd shared a hut with her for two days, while she was slowly bleeding out, makes it one of my least favorite missions. She never said a word about taking that bullet and just forced her body to push through the pain. The mission was all to her. Here we are once again. She didn't disclose a health issue and I didn't pick up on it."

"Don't beat yourself up. McG is sharing a suite with her, has a bunch of medical training, and even he missed it."

"Regardless, I'm going to keep a closer eye on her going forward."

Adam changed the subject.

"When she was awake I told her what Patricia and I discussed earlier."

"What did she say?"

"She was concerned about whether I was upset about the career change."

"I'm not surprised. She wants you to be happy. She doesn't like that this is a choice that you were forced to make because of your injuries."

"I know. Honestly, even if I hadn't gotten injured, knowing about the baby would have made me consider a safer career option. A baby needs at least one primary parent who is present in their life. I've already had my chance to advance in my career. Jaz is on her way up the chain of command as well. She'll probably outrank me someday. All she needs is more field time and a chance to stretch her wings."

"I think we all know that Jaz will excel, Adam. She's managed to make her mark on our team in more ways than one."

"Don't I know it. I'm not sure how we got so lucky. Yes, she's been a challenge for me at times, but I still wouldn't change a thing. Initially I told myself I was spending extra time with her just to make sure she integrated well into the team. Now that I look back, I can see that I've been subtly waging a campaign for her heart for quite a while."

"There certainly was chemistry there that anyone would have had to be blind not to see," Preach commented.

"I wish Elijah was here to see this. He'd be so happy with this outcome. He was constantly making comments about Jaz being a good fit for me and me being a good partner for her. I just couldn't see it at the time."

"Yes, he'd be thrilled. It's times like these when his loss is even more poignant."

"I'd like to talk about him more but when I do Jaz looks devastated. There's still a lot of grief there," Adam said.

"His death was one of the greatest losses in her life to this point. He was so good at knowing what she needed that he made it easy for us to be successful with her. Speaking of helping us be successful with her, I'm going to try and fill his role for a second."

"Okay. This should be interesting," Adam said.

"I want to make sure you know that this entire situation is going to be hard on Jaz. A new career path for you, the change in your relationship, being pregnant, and then actually having the baby. That's a lot of changes for any person in a short period of time. Most women have parents or siblings to support them, in addition to their partner, but Jaz doesn't have that support system. Elijah would have been her rock during these changes so I expect he'll be fresh in her mind a lot in the coming months. No matter how difficult she gets, and trust me when I say pregnancy hormones can be a bitch, I want you to remember this is scary stuff for her and she needs support."

"I won't forget. We'll make this work. You, McG, and Amir are our family. In addition to all of us, I know she has a few close friends though I'm not sure the last time they've seen each other in person. Skype just isn't the same."

Jaz shivered and Preach grabbed a spare blanket from the bottom of Adam's bed and draped it over them.

"We'll have plenty of time to talk about this more. I know it's kind of early but you should try to get some extra sleep too, Adam. I'll be back tomorrow."

Adam snuggled closer to Jaz. When their nurse came in to change out Jaz's IV fluids, she smiled at the two of them curled into one another and dimmed the lights on her way out.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Thanks again for all the great reviews and comments. For those who are posting reviews as Guests, I wish I could respond back to you. You've given me some great suggestions along the way that have caused me to adapt the story. Thanks so much.

Jaz was the first to wake the next morning and she was desperately trying to combat her roiling stomach. Their nurse came in, took one look at her, and returned a few seconds later with a syringe in hand. When she turned on the light, Adam opened his eyes and took in the tears seeping from under Jaz's lashes plus her clenched fists. She was clearly fighting her body. He moved off the mattress as slowly as possible to avoid rocking her and watched as the nurse injected her line mouthing the words "anti-nausea". He nodded in return. A quick glance at the clock showed that breakfast would soon be delivered.

"Please ask them to keep my tray at the desk and I'll eat down in PT," he said softly.

She nodded in understanding and brought a chair over to Jaz's bedside and gave him a basin of cool water and a washcloth. He squeezed the cloth out and gently wiped her face with it before folding it and placing it on her forehead. He hadn't been around many pregnant people but this seemed awful. If it was common, he wondered why women agreed to go through this experience to have children.

Over time Jaz's muscles started to relax and he could tell the medication had done it's job. Her eyes opened and locked on his, "I'm not having any other children."

"I can't say I blame you."

A knock on the door caught their attention and Dr. Miller, the OB-GYN from the previous day, stepped into their room.

"Good morning. Sergeant Khan, I hear you're nauseated again?"

"I woke up feeling that way. I do feel better now but it seems tentative like if I move around the nausea might come back."

"You're probably right. Even though the medication has taken the worst of the symptoms away, it hasn't been in your system long enough to reach it's full effect. In order to help the medication be more effective, I'm going to suggest that you eat tiny meals about every two hours. You don't have to set your alarm at night but if you wake up you should eat. Also, try some crackers and soda an hour or so before you're planning to get out of bed. A completely empty stomach is your worst enemy."

"Okay. I'll certainly try."

"Later today I'm going to have someone stop by and do an ultrasound so we can get a good view of what's going on in there."

Jaz was caught off guard. Yes, she understood she was pregnant but she really hadn't thought about being able to see the little creature.

"Thanks, doctor. We'll look forward to the scan," Adam replied when he saw the shell shocked look on her face.

When they were alone he took her hand in his, "You okay, Jaz?"

She nodded her head but it wasn't very convincing. She was about to say something in response when the nurse came back with saltines and some cold ginger ale.

"You'll want to eat these slowly. A bite and a sip and then pause to see how you're feeling in the process. If the nausea intensifies, we want you to stop. It won't do any good for you to vomit it back up so don't push yourself."

All too soon Adam had to leave Jaz for his intensive PT session. As much as he wanted to stay with her and talk more, he was still a patient himself. Fortunately, the rest of the team arrived just in time to watch over her. He saw the pack of cards in McG's hands and knew they were going to play cards for a while. It would be a good distraction for her. When he got back the poker tournament was still going on but Jaz had fallen asleep with her cards in her hands.

"How'd she make out?," he asked the guys.

"She's still a lousy poker player but she managed a can of ginger ale and six packs of the saltines. They're going to try some noodles in chicken broth when she wakes up," Preach told him.

"When did she fall asleep?"

"About 15 minutes ago so I expect she'll be sleeping for a while yet. Pull up a chair and we'll deal you in."

The next couple of hours were a blast and everyone managed to win a few hands. Preach, McG, and Amir excused themselves to grab something to eat. They weren't bringing food into the room for fear it would trigger Jaz's nausea. Jaz was waking up just as an equipment cart was being wheeled into the room.

"I hear someone would like to see her baby," the ultrasound tech said with a smile.

Adam didn't think Jaz looked particularly excited. She was quiet as she was prepared for the scan. Adam rolled over to her side so he could see the screen as the technician started moving the scanning wand around.

"Okay, I realize you probably won't recognize much at this stage. The picture is going to pretty much look like areas of dark and light. Here is the fetus here. I'm going to take a few pictures and measurements."

She continued to move the wand around and drew their attention to another area, "Looks like there will be a sibling. This is another fetus here."

Jaz's head whipped over toward Adam, "Twins?!" she said in a choked whisper.

"It'll be fine, Jaz," he assured her calmly though he wasn't feeling too calm himself.

The technician kept moving the wand around and he could see that Jaz was starting to get irritated.

"Are you done yet? I think two is plenty. You can stop looking for more!" she snapped.

The technician took in the expression on Jaz's face and assured her there were only two. She glanced over at Adam's face and could very clearly read the order to finish up the scan ASAP. It was only a few more seconds before she had everything wrapped up and vacated the room taking care to pull the door shut behind her.

Adam leaned in close to her and rested his hand over where the babies were nestled, "It really is going to be okay, Jaz."

"It doesn't seem like it."

"I know. One baby seemed overwhelming so two seems like it will be impossible but I know we can do this. We've managed harder missions than this. At least the babies won't be actively trying to kill us."

Jaz thought about that before saying, "Maybe not right away but when they're teenagers? All bets are off."

"We'll be pros by the time they're that old. Anyway, I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's focus on getting through this month and then the next one. Can you try not to worry so much about the future?"

Jaz nodded in agreement but it didn't look very convincing.

"Do you want to tell the team when they come back? Or do you need more time to come to terms with the news?"

"I guess they should know if they're going to be an ongoing part of the family. Plus, with two, we know for sure we'll need help."

"Agreed. I think I hear Preach's voice heading in this direction."

Sure enough less than two minutes later the rest of the team walked into the room and noted that Adam was holding Jaz's hand.

"Everything okay?" Preach asked.

"While you were gone, a scan was done to check things out," Adam told him.

"Okay. How did it look?"

"Crowded. Apparently we're having two babies."

A grin stretched across Preach's face, "As I've said before, with you two, it's go big or go home."

"Very funny," Jaz muttered.

"Seriously, Jaz, congratulations! I'm looking forward to helping out with them. It's going to be a lot of fun for you."

McG and Amir echoed his sentiments and Adam was happy to see the very beginning of a small smile on Jaz's face. The guys were so excited it was infectious.

"So that was our big news but I also have good news for the rest of you. Patricia called while I was down in PT and granted you three another twelve weeks of paid leave. Now that I'm getting better, I thought you might want to head home for a while," Adam informed them.

"Are you sure? We'd be happy to stay here and just hang out with you," McG said.

"You're welcome to stay but hopefully nothing exciting will happen with you're gone. I don't think I can handle any more excitement," Jaz stated.

After more discussion, Preach, Amir, and McG did decide to go home for a while with a promise from Jaz and Adam that they would stay in touch. McG in particular reminded them he could be back pretty quickly if they needed him. Since travel plans needed to be made, Jaz and Adam had the opportunity to spend some time together alone before his afternoon PT session. When Adam returned Jaz was eating a small portion of chicken noodle soup and nibbling on the saltines they had brought her. As night fell, he climbed back into bed with her and they watched a movie. When her eyes started to close he decided to head back to his own bed so she could spread out.


	12. Chapter 12

Their night passed peacefully and they were both up before the sun. While Jaz nibbled on her saltines, Adam asked a question that had been on his mind for a few days.

"Jaz, Patricia secured a temporary apartment for me a couple blocks over from the rehab place. I was hoping that you might be interested in staying there with me?"

Adam watched as she gave the question some thought before answering. He hoped he was going to get the answer he wanted but Jaz could be unpredictable.

"Yes, I'll stay with you. I like being with you, and with my health being what it is, it would probably be safer if we were together. I can help you and you can help me."

"We're a good team. Always have been and always will be. Plus, this will give us a chance to be a couple in our own right."

"You make that sound like a good thing. You do realize we could screw things up before you ever get out of rehab."

"I don't believe that's going to happen. Try to think positive, okay?"

"Sure."

"There's another issue I wanted to talk to you about."

"Lovely. That sounds promising," she said sarcastically.

Adam chuckled, "Nothing bad, Jaz. Just trying to set some framework for living together."

"Uh huh. Still not promising."

He barely restrained his laughter. Her lack of enthusiasm was breathtaking.

"This will be easy. I swear. I just want you to be upfront with me about your health."

"Is this about the whole passing out thing? I really did think the nausea was normal for a pregnant person. How was I supposed to know it was serious?"

"If you'd told McG what was going on, he could have told you."

"It wasn't going to kill me."

"It's that statement right there that has me concerned. We're all so used to thinking in terms of injuries and illnesses being fatal or non-fatal. Valid thinking when we're on a mission but we're embarking on a totally different experience. I just want to know when something's going on with you."

"Does this new rule apply to you? Because we both know you're just as bad as I am. You might even be worse."

As he remembered back to various non-mission related illnesses he had hidden, he knew she had a point.

"Yes, I'm going to do better too. I can't very well ask you to do something that I'm not going to do myself."

"That's not usually how it works," Jaz muttered.

"You know I heard that, right? I'm not like the people in your past who've done that to you. I think you know that deep down."

Jaz sighed, "I know. This Unit is the one time in my life when I've been treated the same while still taking the difference in gender into account. Don't think I haven't noticed."

"It's the right thing to do. You are every bit as skilled as the top operators that I've had the pleasure of commanding. Some accommodations needed to be made but nothing dramatic."

Jaz started laughing at a memory that she chose to share with him.

"Speaking of accommodations, don't think I didn't notice when tampons and Midol showed up in the med kit."

Adam laughed in response to her humor.

"Actually there's a funny story behind that if you're up to hearing about it."

"I've come up with some theories of my own so you might as well tell me the truth."

"It started out simply enough. Elijah and I were flipping through the TV channels one night and ended up on one of those coming of age movies. It included a whole section about the mother teaching the daughter that she needed to have feminine supplies each month. So Elijah and I, being the good guys that we are, decided to make sure you had what you needed if a mission went longer that expected or something. We pulled out the supply order book only to discover that none of that stuff was an ordering option. The military is still damn sexist. There were all sorts of condom options on the ordering list, which we appreciated, but your stuff is sort of a necessity. So we decided to take ourselves off to the Base commissary only to discover the darn things came in different sizes. Who knew?"

"Every woman of childbearing age," she said with a smirk.

"Right. So needless to say, we had no idea what we were doing. We were in the aisle so long reading the boxes that an older lady came over to help explain things to us. It wasn't embarrassing at all. To make it extra fun, we'd had a bit too much to drink before we went down there. By the time the lecture was over, we decided to buy every box on the shelves and that's how you ended up with tampons in the med kit."

Jaz smiled at the thought of the two of them in the aisle trying to figure things out. She would pay to see the security footage of that trip.

"The effort was appreciated. I just wasn't sure how to bring it up at the time."

"I can understand that completely. I kept hoping you wouldn't because I wasn't sure how I'd respond. Having a conversation like that requires a level of skill I certainly didn't have at that point. We didn't have a relationship where we could discuss those types of things."

"Apparently we do now."

"Yes. I'm intimately familiar with your body now plus our relationship has evolved over the years together."

"We're both going to learn a lot more. I know nothing about being pregnant."

"No worries, Jaz. I've been reading up, and as you start feeling better, I have no doubt that you'll educate yourself. I have to say it looks like an amazing experience."

"Amazing is probably not the term I would use to this point."

"I can understand why, but when the nausea is gone, you might feel differently."

"We can always hope."


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: Happy Monday! Thanks again for all of the reviews, comments, and suggestions for the story. I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying reading about Jaz and Adam trying to make a go of their relationship.

A few more days passed and it became apparent that Adam would be discharged before Jaz. Each day he could see her condition deteriorating a little bit more. She was getting discouraged as she continued to struggle while he rapidly improved.

He sat on the edge of the bed wiping a cold cloth over her face as they waited for the afternoon bout of nausea to fade. It had become something of a ritual for them a few times a day. It was a crappy ritual, but it was where they were, at the moment.

"You'll be out of here before me," she said listlessly with her eyes closed.

It was the first time either of them had verbalized their upcoming separation.

"I know, Jaz. At least you won't have to help move anything into the apartment. Everything will be all set up when you're ready to leave here."

"How? Preach, McG, and Amir are at their homes."

"They aren't our only friends. How many times have Hannah and Noah been by asking how they can help? How many times has Deputy Director Campbell been by to see how she can smooth things out? You've also met some of my former teammates and you know they've been asking the same things. I'll have an army of people to help me. They probably won't let me touch a single box."

"I still wish I could be there."

He leaned over and gently kissed her forehead, "I wish you could too but you still need some time. You heard the doctor this morning. The nausea should start getting better since you are getting further along. In addition to that normal process, you'll be started on that new oral anti-nausea medication tomorrow and hopefully it will help."

"It better help. It certainly can't make things worse."

He continued to gently wipe her face. It was all he could do to hide his own worry. She'd been ill so often yesterday and today. When he heard the nurse tell the doctor that Jaz was vomiting some blood, he'd almost lost it. He wanted to fix this for her but he couldn't. All he could do was care for her as much as possible now and make sure that he anticipated her needs after she was discharged. He knew full well she would rarely ask for what she needed. Even though they had talked about the importance of telling him how she was feeling, she struggled to do so. She was used to toughing things out and he wasn't going to change her behavioral patterns overnight. Only time would help her establish new ways to interact with him.

Four days later his discharge day arrived. He'd thought he'd be thrilled when it was his time to be booted out of the hospital. But now that Jaz was stuck, he wanted to stay. Another case of "be careful what you wish for". Some days life just sucked.

He'd signed his discharge papers at 10 am and eight hours later he still hadn't left. Hannah had stopped by twice already to see if he was ready to leave. The clock told him she'd be back in another hour.

"You can go, Adam, I'll be okay," Jaz told him from her spot on the bed.

It would have been more convincing if she hadn't been sitting there holding a basin in her lap looking like she was going to toss her cookies any second.

"I know you'll be okay but I'm going to miss you. No reason for me to rush. The extra time also gives the rest of the group the opportunity to finish moving things into the apartment for me."

He didn't tell her he'd seen her tear up earlier in the day when he was signing his discharge papers. This may be a drawn out goodbye but he felt they both needed it.

"What's the first thing you're going to do when you leave?," she asked him.

"I'm going to strip down to my boxers and wander around the apartment. It'll be nice to know that a nurse or doctor won't be coming in any second."

"I'd like to be there for that," Jaz said with a smile.

"You'll get your chance. Trust me. Plus the same rule applies to you. You're welcome to walk around in just your bra and panties when you get home. It won't bother me at all."

"It better bother you some. We haven't been together long enough for my mostly naked body to not cause some sort of a reaction."

"I have a feeling that forty years from now I'll still have a reaction to the sight of you."

Jaz smiled at him before turning her attention back to the TV. She drifted off to sleep shortly afterwards which granted her a reprieve from the nausea. When Hannah arrived this time it was much easier for him to make the decision to leave with her. He penned a quick note for Jaz and propped it up next to her cup in case she woke during the night. He planned to be back before she woke in the morning but, just in case, he wanted her to know he was thinking about her. He dimmed the lights in the room on the way out as he followed Hannah into the hall. He stopped to look back at Jaz and realized how much he was looking forward to the days when the two of them could sleep together in the same bed every night. Those days couldn't come soon enough.

The next day was the only day he could spend with her in it's entirety. Afterwards it was going to be really hard for them both as he started intensive rehab at a different site. He wasn't sure how he was going to manage being separated from her all day. It felt like he was abandoning her even though he knew he wasn't. His heart and his head were struggling to come to terms with the knowledge that he really did need to be away from her so that he could continue to get better. He knew he might have to try and think about their situation as a mission where they each had their own parts to play to achieve the goal. Compartmentalization was much easier for him to achieve in his work life than in his personal one.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: Sorry this took a while to get posted. Jaz insisted that I add a few extra chapters to the story and didn't want to hear that the story was already complete. It took a little while longer to get the new stuff to blend in with the rest of the story. Here is the first of those new chapters.

Two days after Adam was discharged Jaz found herself completely alone. She could hear the bustle of the staff in the hallway but it just made the silence of her room more oppressive. She missed the guys. She missed Adam. She really didn't want to stay in the hospital while he was out and about. Who would have thought that pregnancy could knock her so low? In fact, who would have thought she'd ever be pregnant? She certainly hadn't.

With a sigh she grabbed the remote and clicked on the TV. She surfed her way through the channels, scowling at the commercials for baby products, until she finally settled on the news.

An hour later her phone rang and she answered it without looking. It was probably only a telemarketer but she could use the distraction.

"Hello."

"Hi, Jaz. I'm calling all the way from Montana to check on you."

She perked up at the sound of McG's voice on the phone.

"You do realize that Montana is not all that far away in the scheme of things. Preach is further away than you and Amir is way, way further away."

"True but did any of them bother to pick up the phone to check on you?"

"No, but they are texting a bunch, and you usually do too. What gives?"

"I wanted to hear your voice not just see an update via text."

"You don't believe my updates?"

"I believe them completely and it sounds like things suck."

"You don't want to give me the same "things will get better" speech that everyone else is giving me?"

"No. I think what they're saying is true but that doesn't mean what you're feeling now isn't valid. You can't be very happy, Jaz."

She felt tears fill her eyes at the acknowledgment that all was not well in her world. Even on a bet she couldn't have responded back to him as her emotions practically choked her.

McG waited in silence for a few seconds before continuing, "It's okay to be upset, Jaz. You've got a lot of things going on right now. Big, big changes."

"Adam is so happy," she said quietly.

"I think it's great that he is but that doesn't mean you have to be. He isn't the one dealing with the hormones and the nausea. Technically his part is over except for his role in supporting you. You'll be bearing the brunt of having the babies."

"You won't tell him I'm not happy?"

"Absolutely not but I have a feeling he already knows. He's pretty perceptive. I imagine that he's probably trying to figure out if he needs to address it or if he should just wait it out. I'm assuming the two of you already talked about whether you wanted to move forward?"

"Yes."

"I sense a "but" in there. Let me have it, Jaz. You aren't going to hurt my feelings."

"Pregnancy is so much harder than I thought. Everything hurts and I'm nauseous all the time. When I'm not throwing up, I'm trying to decide if I'd feel better if I did. I never thought it would be like this. There are times when I wake up and I'm disappointed to realize I really am pregnant. I feel so ungrateful when I know there are thousands of couples out there trying to accomplish what Adam and I managed without any effort."

"But you weren't one of the couples trying. Those couples had the opportunity to prepare in advance for all of the negatives of pregnancy. This hit you out of the blue."

"The whole thing sucks."

"You know you can call me anytime, Jaz? I don't care how early or how late it is. Don't wait for me to call you and don't text when it's something that needs to be talked about. Texting is great for it's purpose but it was never meant to replace true communication."

"It's easier to text."

"It's easier to text because you don't have to worry about your emotions getting the best of you. I understand. I really do. There's not one single person on our team who's good at dealing with their emotions except maybe Preach. You have the right to feel anyway you want to and no one is trying to take that away from you. Unfortunately, no one likes to see you upset, so everyone is trying their best to make you feel better."

"I appreciate what everyone's trying to do. The reality is that I need to come to terms with the fact that this is how it's going to be for the foreseeable future."

"That just sounds depressing. Here's my turn to say things will get better. From a medical perspective, the nausea should improve as your body adapts. From my personal perspective, I believe that as the nausea abates, and you can have the freedom to get around on your own, you'll start to feel better about some of the other changes you're experiencing."

"Maybe. I'm tired of being here, McG. I don't know how Adam stayed in a hospital for so long without losing his mind."

"Who says he didn't?"

Jaz laughed, "I'm pretty sure he'd be insulted."

"Then it's a good thing that you won't tell him what I said."

"Nope. Your secret is safe with me."

"And your secrets are safe with me. However, I do reserve the right to give Adam a piece of my mind if he screws anything up."

"By all means. I wouldn't want you to hold back on my account."

"Did I accomplish my goal of making you feel better?"

She realized that she did feel better, "I think you did."

"Then my work here is done. Stay in touch and remember what I said about having the right to feel however you feel."

"I will. Thanks, McG."

"You're welcome, Jaz. Take care of yourself for the rest of today and I'll text you tomorrow like normal.

"Okay."

She didn't know how he knew to call but he'd done exactly the right thing. She just needed to remember what he'd told her and put it into practice. She had to trust that things could only get better. Right?


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: Thanks again for the all the reviews, private messages, favorites, and follows. This is a short little bridge chapter. In the next one you'll get to see what happens once Jaz is discharged and she and Adam start living together.

Two days after her conversation with McG, Jaz was chatting with her OB-GYN to review the AM lab results when she got some welcome news.

"Sgt. Khan, these labs are much better than in previous days. While you're still mildly dehydrated, it isn't anything that would keep you here. How do you feel that you're doing with the nausea and vomiting?"

"The nausea still comes in waves but I'm vomiting less. Usually just when I first wake up and if I move too fast. I've started to feel pretty weak so I've been pushing myself to walk around the room regularly. I'm trying to take it slow, but I'm not used to it, so sometimes I move too fast for my stomach."

"I can certainly understand why you're feeling weak. Bedrest has a number of drawbacks and that is one of them. I'll make you a deal. If you can keep two out of the next three meals down, I'll let you go home tomorrow afternoon. Sound good?"

"It sounds fantastic," Jaz assured him with her first genuine smile in a while.

"I figured you'd say as much. I've gotten the impression you've been ready to go since your roommate left."

She nodded in response. She couldn't deny his observation. As soon as the doctor left her room, she picked up the phone and called Adam's number. She knew she'd have to leave a message, since he was still in PT, but she didn't want to wait to share her news until they spoke in the evening. As for the rest of the team, they immediately received a text informing them of her pending discharge.

The day flew by, unlike the previous ones, and before she knew it, it was time to hear Adam's voice. At 6 pm she got his usual phone call. The man was nothing if not prompt.

"I got your message, Jaz. You left me good news. Do you want me to ask Hannah to pick you up in the afternoon? Or do you want to wait until I can come with her to get you?"

"I want to leave as soon as possible before they have the opportunity to change their minds."

"I'm not surprised."

"How was therapy?" she asked him.

"It was fine," he responded flatly.

"Really? You don't sound like it was fine."

"No, it really was fine."

She was definitely getting the impression that he didn't want to talk about it. Time for a topic change.

"Okay. What did you do last night with your freedom in the apartment while I was stuck here?"

"Pretty much the same boring stuff I've been doing since I left. I eat, watch TV, and go to bed."

This didn't sound like the Adam she knew. Their entire conversation felt "off". He sounded depressed but she wasn't sure what to do with that information. She was never the one who'd had to boost his mood.

"When I get out of here tomorrow, I'll be able to keep you company and we can be TV buddies. It's not like I'll be able to do much either."

"It would be nice to have someone to critique the shows with me."

"When are you coming in for your visit tonight?"

There was a long pause before he tentatively asked, "Would it be okay if I didn't? My leg is bothering me more today and I'll get to see you tomorrow."

She was disappointed but didn't want to make a fuss, "No, it's okay. We'll see each other tomorrow when you get home from PT."

"Okay. I'll see you then."

When Adam disconnected she had a bad feeling in her gut and it wasn't pregnancy related nausea. Multiple things had gone wrong in their conversation. He said he wasn't coming to visit, he hadn't asked about the babies, his voice hadn't indicated any excitement about her leaving the hospital, and he just generally seemed distracted. Up until just now, he'd made a point of saying "I love you" during every call. The fact that he didn't this time seemed like a red flag. She could only hope that once she got to the apartment her presence would help improve his mood.


	16. Chapter 16

Adam jerked awake in the wee hours of the morning. His heart rate was elevated, he was gasping for air, and his body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. For a man who was as cool under fire as he was, the response was equivalent to a panic attack. It took him a few seconds to realize he wasn't in the middle of a war zone but rather in the bedroom of his temporary apartment. Not exactly a place that inspired terror. He quickly looked down to make sure the most important person in his life was safe. Seeing that Jaz's small form was draped over his side, where she'd often ended up sleeping during the three weeks they'd been living together, he released a shaky breath. Unlike him, at least she was sleeping soundly. He closed his eyes and slowly inhaled savoring the smell of her shampoo and her own sweet scent. It helped center him and allowed his body to release some of it's tension. Hugging her close, he took a moment to be thankful that she was in his arms. He could vaguely remember the nightmare that had pulled him from what had been a sound sleep. It had been a view of what his life would have been like without Jaz. He was well aware of how easily that nightmare could have become his reality.

Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, he could see just how rocky his first week living with Jaz had been. The reality was that he was solely to blame for how things unfolded. He still couldn't believe how badly he'd screwed things up. Just how close he'd come to losing the things he'd wanted most. As any good commander would, he often reviewed how things had gone wrong so he could make sure he never repeated the same mistakes. What he'd determined during those times of analysis was that the problem had boiled down to unrealistic expectations on his part. Once he'd left the hospital he'd quickly discovered how much help he'd really needed with day to day activities. If his injuries had only been a broken arm or a broken leg, things would have been different. But both injuries together, along with the pain from his injured ribs and the frequent headaches, drove his frustration level higher than it had ever been. He knew now that he'd expected more of himself than his body could provide. If only he'd caught on sooner he could have saved Jaz a lot of pain.

When he'd been living solo, people had stopped by to help out, and since they were guests, he had let them. But he hadn't been happy about it. Once Jaz was released, she'd tried to help him too, even though she was still struggling herself, but he'd refused her assistance. She wasn't a visiting guest, whose help he'd felt obligated to accept, so he'd informed her he could do things for himself. He hadn't wanted to need her help and he'd been pretty clear about it. What he hadn't noticed, while he was asserting his independence, was that he was inflicting deep emotional wounds when Jaz was already so vulnerable. Fortunately someone else noticed before it was too late.

It was towards the end of their first week living together that Adam first learned just how badly he'd been screwing things up. McG had called him towards the end of the day demanding they talk. Since he'd only had ten more minutes of his PT session anyway, his therapist had called it a day. Adam had been grateful to be able to retreat to the privacy of the locker room to finish the call. McG had sounded unhappy. Maybe even angry. The fact that he'd started the conversation calling him Adam, and not Top, was a dead giveaway that something was wrong.

"Okay, McG, I'm done for the day. Why don't you tell me what's on your mind."

"I spoke with Jaz earlier, and I'm telling you right now, you better get your head out of your ass or you're going to lose her."

"What the hell are you talking about, McG?! She was fine when I left this morning."

"If you thought she was fine, you really aren't paying attention to what's going on."

"Since you seem to know more than I do, why don't _you_ tell me what's going on."

"I don't know the details, and the fact that you don't even know there's a problem, is concerning. I can tell you that she called and asked to come stay with me until she's finally overcome the nausea. Unfortunately for her, I'm starting to think that this milder version might last the whole pregnancy."

Adam was stunned into complete silence and listened to McG as he continued, "She seems to think that you've decided living together is a mistake. What worries me even more is that she didn't sound upset. It was more like she was just resigned to the situation. It's clear to me she just doesn't have the energy to fight for something better."

It was a good thing Adam was already sitting down because he knew he would have fallen over.

"I didn't know she felt that way, McG," he said quietly.

"Well, now you know, so what are you going to do about it? I'm only going to give you two days to fix this, and if you don't, I'm coming to get her. In light of the complications with the pregnancy so far, she definitely shouldn't be under this level of stress. If you really don't want her with you, there's no problem with her staying with me indefinitely. When I'm not in the States, my mom will be around to keep a close eye on her. She loves kids and would be more than happy to watch over the kids later when Jaz and I are deployed."

"It won't come to that, McG. I'll talk to her."

"It better be the most fantastic talk you've ever had with her. If you want her with you, you've got a lot of damage control to do. Just saying the words to her won't be enough. You need to show her you want her with you."

"I hear you, McG."

"She deserves better than this, Adam."

He knew McG was right. Looking back over the week, he could remember multiple times when he'd been less than kind to her. He'd been too caught up in his own situation to realize the effects his words and behaviors we're having on her. This was completely his fault and McG was right to call him on it. He would fix it.

When he arrived home that evening he planned to sit down and talk to Jaz over dinner. However, his plans were for naught when he discovered she'd fallen asleep on the couch while looking at her laptop. He wasn't surprised. She, too, was still trying to recover from her injuries and the babies were sapping her strength. What was a surprise was that it was clear she'd cried herself to sleep. Jaz was not a crier, and the fact that she had cried, meant she was feeling like her situation was completely out of control.

He pulled the laptop away from her with one hand and covered her with a blanket with the other. They could talk tomorrow when they were both fresh. As he turned the computer screen toward him, his heart dropped when he saw she'd been looking at an adoption agency's website. Clearly their conversation couldn't wait until morning. He would sit up all night if needed while he waited for her to wake up. It certainly wouldn't be the first time he'd stayed up all night and what was at risk now was more important than any mission he'd ever embarked upon.

When Jaz did wake up a few hours later, the caution that quickly filled her eyes confirmed McG was right in saying he'd screwed things up royally. It didn't take more than thirty seconds of looking at him before Jaz's caution changed to sadness. He did need to get his head out of his ass.

"I'm sorry, Jaz."

"Me too. I knew this probably wouldn't work out but at least we can say we tried," she said wearily.

He took one of her hands into his larger ones and made sure he had her full attention, "That's not why I'm sorry. We're going to be fine. I'm sorry because I was too lost in my own disappointment about the slowness of my recovery to see how I was hurting you. I should have been talking to you about what I was feeling rather than pushing you away. McG helped me realize what I was doing."

He paused for a second to try and put his feelings into words, "I'm not used to sharing my deepest feelings with the team. As your CO I was there to support all of you not for you to support me. But the reality is that you aren't on my team anymore, which means I can share more with you than I could before. Try to bear with me as I adjust. I do want to be with you. I've actually loved having you here with me and I'm sorry I made you feel like I didn't. Coming home to you is what I look forward to all day. Please stay and give me another chance. I promise you won't regret it."

She'd broken eye contact with him and was staring at her hands in her lap. Their position emphasized where her belly had started to swell with their children. "Are you sure? I'm sure I could stay with one of the guys."

He closed the distance between them and sat next to her on the couch. Very gently he draped an arm across her shoulders and pulled her into his side, "I'm sure every single one of the guys would love to have you stay with them. They might even fight over you but I'm hoping you'll stay here with me."

She tilted her head up and he kissed her forehead gently, "I'll try to share more with you, Jaz. Remember that I have about as much experience with the relationship thing as you do. Fortunately for you, I'm a quick learner once I realize there's a problem."

She rested her head back against his shoulder and he swore he could hear her evaluating her options. After a few minutes she finally spoke.

"Okay. I'll stay for another week and we'll see how it goes."

He was lucky she was giving him another week and he knew it. Unfortunately for him, McG had not given him a full week so he needed to change things for the better quickly. He took full advantage of the two days McG had given him made some major changes in both his attitude and his behaviors. He focused on letting her help him with some tasks while also explaining why he wanted to try to do other things on his own. He also verbalized when he was getting frustrated and just wanted to be left alone. He knew Jaz was okay with that because she'd been known to hole up on her own at times when things were particularly hard.

When McG called him at the end of the two day deadline, he'd received a verbal pat on the back. McG reported that Jaz sounded more like herself when he'd spoken with her. Adam knew in that moment that he'd been unfair when he'd assumed if anyone messed things up between them, it would be Jaz. Apparently he could do that all on his own.


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: Thanks for all the ongoing support for this story. I've been enjoying everyone's comments and suggestions. They help me think differently about the story and tweak it here and there. Since it's lousy weather where I am today, I decided to get another chapter up. Enjoy!

Jaz found herself whistling at the sink one morning as she was washing dishes and she stopped at the shock of it. Could it be that she was actually happy? Since their relationship had hit the rocks, at least from her perspective, things had improved dramatically. Living with Adam had become everything she had hoped. It was like being deployed together only way better. Now it was just the two of them and they were creating their own life as a couple. They had stories about their days and experiences that they could share with the others if they wanted to and they both took the time to privately marvel at the growth of their babies. Before they went to sleep at night, Adam would rest his hand over them and talk to her stomach, convinced that his little ones could hear him. It was the sweetest thing she'd ever experienced.

Another major bonus was that her nausea was _finally_ improved. On the rare occasions when she was overwhelmed with it, Adam did everything he could to keep her comfortable. They'd discovered that sleep was the best tactic and he made sure their room was dark, the white noise machine was running, and that the air conditioning was turned up to cool the room off. He'd even learned to inject an anti-nausea medication for when the normal tactics didn't work.

This morning she'd woken up to breakfast in bed before Adam had left for rehab. She didn't think he'd be there much longer. He was functioning independently at this point. His range of motion was the therapist's current focus, and once that was within normal parameters, there really wouldn't be anything further for him to recover. He had certainly improved more than she had ever expected.

As for herself, today was going to be her first day in her temporary role at the DIA. She wouldn't be surprised if Adam was also at the DIA full-time within the month. She was looking forward to whatever their new normal was going to be. The routine of them going to work, keeping house, and making time for themselves in between. She knew that sense of normalcy wouldn't last forever so she was going to savor every minute.

Lately most of their recent conversations had been about the future and they had jointly decided that she would continue in her role on the team. She wasn't sure what she had expected but it wasn't what she got. Adam had been 100% supportive about her staying in the field once the babies were born. Apparently it was never even a question in his mind. Just the night before they had talked about it again while they were laying in bed..

"You're too good not to continue doing exactly what you're doing, Jaz. Having you out in the field could be the difference between another soldier living or dying."

"Are you sure you'd be okay keeping the home fires burning? Watching the babies?"

"They're my babies too, Jaz. I'm responsible for their care just as much as you are. I've never been one to buy into that whole myth that women should stay at home because they're best suited to raise children."

"Good thing, too, because I doubt I'm going to win any awards for parenting skills."

"I doubt I will either but between the two of us we'll take good care of them and help them to become fully functional independent adults."

"Well I certainly don't want them living in our basement when they're in their 20's."

"How about we make that our parenting goal, Jaz? As long as we accomplish that we'll forgive each other for the mistakes we make along the way."

"I like it. We'll have plenty of years to tweak our mission plan to make sure we accomplish the goal."

"Honestly, I can't wait to meet our kids and get the parenting ball rolling. I'm looking forward to seeing their first smiles, their first steps, and having the opportunity to teach them all the things we know."

"Maybe not everything we know," Jaz said with a smile.

"Point taken. We certainly have more life experience than many parents."

"Is that what we're calling it, Adam? Life experience?"

"What would you like to call it?"

"Craziness. We're both wildcards who are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done even when it seems like a lost cause. Granted, I might be a little more of a wildcard than you, but you still have that streak in your personality," Jaz explained.

"I would prefer to say we are individuals who operate at an elite level of skill with a high degree of flexibility when it comes to meeting mission goals."

"Oh, really? Let's turn back time to the Iran mission, shall we?"

"Okay. I may have gone off book on that one. Crazy probably would be a good description."

"And apparently your attitude was contagious. I still can't believe Patricia went along with it."

"She already knew there was something between us. Actually, who am I kidding? The entire team, except for you, knew at that point. I think it's safe to say that it was pretty clear I'd die there alone before I'd leave you behind."

She snuggled closer to him and kissed his neck, "I, for one, am very happy that you stayed. If anyone else had led the mission I think we'd all have been dead."

"Hopefully you'll never have the chance to test that theory."

"Agreed. Being captured was not my idea of a good time. Particularly the psychological torture portion. My brain is already messed up enough."

He pulled her on top of him, "I think your brain is perfect as it is. Just like the rest of you. You're perfect for me."

She giggled when she realized that he intended to show her just how well they fit together.


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I got caught up in writing another story. I believe there will be around two more chapters in this tale.

A couple of weeks passed and the day had finally come when Adam was being released from rehab. He was definitely looking forward to putting the daily therapy sessions behind him so he could move on with his life. While it had been a long hard road, ultimately everything had worked out better than he could have hoped. He was back to both full strength and flexibility. He could get down on the ground with a heavy pack and right back up with no issues. He'd even been cleared for a full return to the field if he wanted it. The particular type of clearance he'd been granted would allow him to pick right back up with the team as their CO. Once upon a time, that would have been his sole desire, but now his life and future were so different than he could have anticipated. He had people and responsibilities that he didn't even know he'd been missing from his life.

Earlier in the month, when his days at rehab had been reduced to half time, he'd started his new role at the DIA in the afternoons and he was surprised to find he loved it. In fact, his field clearance just made him a better fit for the position. He could head out anytime it was needed rather than just the safer missions.

The biggest benefit from the change in his career was the ability to be with Jaz and not have to hide it. The little family he was creating with her was such a joy in his life that he wanted to be able to share it with others. His current position would allow for that and also allow him to take the next step. He wanted to make sure they were together always. In fact, today was the day he was hoping to get her to agree to a forever with him. It would certainly make him feel more secure about their relationship and he hoped it would give Jaz some extra piece of mind as well. It was important to him that she realize he was in this for the long haul.

Considering the importance of this op, he wasn't embarking on it without back up. McG, Preach, and Amir pulled up to the curb to take him back to the apartment. McG and Preach were already in their full dress uniforms and Amir was wearing a nice suit.

"You ready, Adam?" Preach asked.

"Absolutely."

"I can't wait to see Jaz's face," McG said.

"She could say no. You realize this right?," Adam asked.

"She isn't going to say no," Preach reassured.

"Yup. You knocked her up with not just one but two kids. She's going to make you pay. She's definitely going to say yes," McG stated.

Everyone in the car laughed at McG's opinion. When they arrived at the apartment it only took a few minutes for Adam to change into his dress uniform. He grabbed the small black velvet box and carried it out with him to the living room. A second later it was opened up to show the ring to the guys.

"It's perfect for her, Adam," Amir stated quietly.

If Amir said it was perfect Adam knew he had succeeded. Instead of a big diamond that would get in the way when she handled her weapons, this was a delicate ring of smaller connected diamonds. He'd had to have it designed to his specifications. If Jaz ever found out how much it had cost him she would never wear it. He would just have to take that secret to his grave.

When they arrived at the DIA they were told Jaz had just finished teaching a marksmanship class. They found her in the main operations room. She was leaning over a monitor in the corner, rubbing her back, looking at the scores of the new recruits. When she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder, she turned to see her favorite group of people behind her and realized that silence had fallen.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quizzically as she noticed the team's formal attire.

The second Adam bent down on one knee she knew exactly what he was doing. Apparently so did everyone else because they were watching raptly.

"Jaz, you came into my life and turned things upside down in the best possible way. You made me a better leader and a better man. It didn't take the team long to decide we belonged together. I was just a little slower. When I realized I might lose you, I knew in that moment I would do anything to keep you by my side. I'm hoping you'll take a chance on us and build a life with me. I'll do everything in my power to make sure that we have many more good times than bad. I'm proposing a long-term joint mission for as long as you'll have me."

Jaz was speechless and he opened the small velvet box in his hands.

"Will you marry me, Jaz?"

When her brain started working again, she nodded her head. The most beautiful ring was gently placed on her ring finger. It was perfect. Adam stood without hesitation, wrapped his arms around her, and tilted her back for a passionate kiss that resulted in all sorts of comments throughout the room. When they broke apart, Jaz was flushed and breathless and the entire room was clapping and laughing. A room often fraught with tension was instead filled with joy.

Congratulations were passed along by each and every member of the operational support staff. Many of them could remember times when it wasn't clear if either one or the other of the two would survive. This moment was the best anyone could have ever hoped for them.


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note: I had hoped to get this up on Thanksgiving Day but things didn't work out quite as planned. Even though I'm a few days late, I wanted to take a moment to let you know that I'm thankful for a lot of things. One of those is that people continue to read and enjoy the stories that I post on this board. I write primarily as a stress reliever and your reviews and instant messages also make me smile. Happy holidays!

The next month passed by quickly. Jaz was a hot commodity with all of the various alphabet law enforcement agencies. She was teaching both sharpshooting as well as what she classified as general over-watch type skills. In particular many groups had requested a lecture and demonstration of shooting under adverse conditions.

After another day of teaching, she had returned to the main DIA building to spend some time alone in the range. Shooting took her to her happy place. Adam had managed to track her down and leaned against the wall watching her attack the paper targets. Once she was satisfied with her rifle series, she switched to a handgun. He watched her first shot go wild as she gasped and placed a hand on her belly. Adam rushed over to her pulling off her ear protection.

"What's wrong?," he demanded.

She straightened and looked at him for a moment before reaching out and taking his hand. She placed it on the side of her stomach. He jerked at the sensation of a patter against his palm.

"Wow," he said with a smile.

"I know. It feels weird, right? Scared me a little. I'm so glad I wasn't teaching when that happened. Up until now, their movements felt like bubbles inside. This time was clearly a kick."

He kept his hand against her, "Does it hurt?"

"Not right now but I bet it will when they're bigger."

"Shall I apologize in advance for what you'll be going through?"

"No, I'm sure I'll be wanting on the spot apologies when I'm feeling miserable."

He wrapped his arms around her pulling her close to his body, "I'll start working on a variety of apologies now. I'm just so happy the nausea is mostly gone. I was starting to get really worried when you kept losing weight since your diet was so restricted."

"You were the one that kept telling _me_ not to worry."

"You didn't need to worry. I was worried enough for the both of us. McG had to talk me off the ledge once or twice after I carried you to bed after those couple really bad rounds. He kept reassuring me that you would eventually get better."

"I'm glad the nausea is gone too but I guess I'm just trading one symptom of pregnancy for another. I'm not sure I'll ever particularly enjoy pregnancy. I'm already looking forward to having my body back though I'm not too keen about the babies' exit strategy."

"I'll be there every step of the way, Jaz."

"I know you will but you won't be the one rolling around on the bed in pain."

"True. I'm not strong enough to do it, but I know you, and you'll do it with flying colors."

Adam pulled her in even closer and she lifted her chin allowing him to kiss her. Time stood still for the both of them until her growling stomach told them it was long past time for dinner.

"Do you want to eat out tonight? Or do you want me to grill something at home?," he asked with an indulgent smile.

"Home? Like your home?"

"Actually that would be our home now. The one you've been asking to move into ever since my rehab ended."

Jaz could feel herself getting teary-eyed. Stupid hormones! It was just a house but in her mind it was a goal she'd been trying to reach. A permanent home to put down roots. Not like their temporary apartment home which still looked pretty spartan.

Seeing the look on her face, Adam cursed himself for not agreeing to her request weeks ago. Going to his cabin clearly meant a lot to her. More than he'd ever expected. It was fear that had kept him from taking her more than ten minutes from a hospital. Even when he'd started to feel confident that she was going to be okay, he'd still been hesitant. His question now had been totally spur of the moment but he didn't regret it.

He rested his chin on top of her head, "I think I know the answer. Let's grab a snack and we'll get on the road. On Monday, when we come back to DC I'll get our stuff from the apartment."

During their dinner that night they mapped out their wedding plans. Somehow he had envisioned the process taking a lot longer than a couple of hours and a few napkins scribbled with suggestions.

A month later their wedding day dawned bright and beautiful. Jaz decided she couldn't ask for more. She was applying her makeup when the babies started rolling around inside of her. She laughed at the weirdness of the sensation. Their space was definitely shrinking as they grew so she doubted she would feel this type of activity much longer. She heard a knock on the door frame and looked over to see Preach leaning there smiling at her.

"You about ready?," he asked as he entered the room.

"Yes, the babies were just making their presence known."

She got to her feet and Preach pulled her into a hug being careful not to muss the beautiful waves in her hair or her makeup. It was the first time he'd seen her in the dress she had selected and it was a beautiful one. It emphasized her femininity and the cut draped over her abdomen practically concealing her advancing pregnancy.

"You look stunning, Jaz."

"Better than the camo and face paint, huh?," Jaz asked with a smile.

"Even in that you always looked way better than the rest of us. I've just never seen you in such an elegant dress."

"I never expected to see myself in a wedding dress either."

Preach drove them to the Court House from Patricia's house where she had gotten ready. He helped her from the car before handing her a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Jaz took a breath breath before they walked together up the Court House steps. While she was thrilled to be making her union with Adam official, she couldn't help but feel some anxiety over such a big change in her life.

Back when she and Adam had planned their day, she'd told him she hadn't wanted a big wedding particularly when she'd hardly have anyone seated on her side. Adam had admitted he didn't really want a big ceremony either but told her he would have agreed to whatever she wanted. He just wanted to be married to her and have the opportunity to share the day with their closest friends.

Preach, Amir, and McG walked her to the front of the room where Adam waited in his tuxedo. The ceremony started right on time and they exchanged their vows in shaky voices. Once they were pronounced man and wife, Jaz felt it sink in that she was a wife and soon to be a mother. No going back now.

Adam leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Can't believe it, Mrs. Dalton?"

She looked up at him, "Okay, I've gotta tell you that just sounds weird."

He laughed at her comment but before he could say anything in response they were quickly distracted by the hugs and well wishes from their DIA family. At the luncheon they had to celebrate, Patricia presented them with a trip to a resort in the mountains of VA not too far from what used to be Adam's cabin and was now their home. She told them to consider it a babymoon/honeymoon since they hadn't gotten around to planning either. It was the perfect gift and definitely more luxurious than just going back to their place. They made certain to enjoy every second of their weekend as a newly married couple. They were well aware that their time alone was quickly coming to an end.


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note: Thanks again for following along with this story. I'm going to take this opportunity to post the rest of the story now since I finally managed to get around a computer error that has been preventing me from accessing the Internet. I hope you enjoy the ending.

Once they returned home they began getting ready for impending parenthood and quickly discovered that this might be the hardest thing they'd ever done. First, they couldn't believe the amount of stuff they needed for the babies. They had completed entire missions with less equipment. Second, when Adam started assembling the cribs and other baby items, he kept ending up with extra pieces.

"I don't understand why there are no words on these directions, Jaz."

She looked at the included assembly sheet, "They gave you pictures which I guess they thought were better than words."

"They were wrong," he said in disgust.

He looked around him at the extra pieces and then at the cribs he'd assembled which certainly didn't look safe enough for the babies.

"Would you want to put our kids in those?"

Jaz gave the cribs a jaundiced eye from her spot in the rocking chair. Fortunately _it_ had come fully assembled.

"We could probably make them work but I guess when it comes to the babies we shouldn't improvise," Jaz decided.

"No, we shouldn't. Let's see if Preach can drive here later tonight after his meeting at the DIA. Hopefully he can see where I went wrong."

They were lucky that Preach said he could stop by but he didn't mention he'd be bringing the peanut gallery with him. Both Amir and McG had plenty to say about the state of the cribs and the other items he'd assembled. There was much jeering, but by the time they left, Jaz was glowing and every item looked exactly as it was supposed to look. Later that evening they climbed onto the bed and Jaz snuggled into his side as much as her belly bump would allow.

"Adam, I think we're as ready as we're ever going to be."

"I know. We have a good plan in place and just need to execute it."

Jaz chuckled, "The last two pieces of the plan will be here soon. Probably sooner than we expect."

Adam took those words to heart and became quite the worry wart as the end of the pregnancy approached. Jaz found the whole situation to be entertaining. She'd never seen Adam so rattled and it helped her keep her own anxiety at bay.

When her schedule was cut to part-time, they began staying in the DIA provided apartment Monday to Wednesday for talks on-site before returning to their cabin for the rest of the week. For unexpected tasks that couldn't be handled remotely, a helicopter was dispatched to pick Adam up from the small local airfield near their cabin.

Their cabin was their beloved retreat but it wasn't long before Adam had declared it too remote for his peace of mind. Jaz gave in and agreed that they could relocate back to the apartment full time until after the babies were born. She figured she could last six weeks back in DC. After all, Adam's fears were valid. He was concerned the babies might need more care than the community hospital close to their cabin could provide. He wanted a level III NICU in the same hospital where she would deliver just in case it was needed. Now they were just trying to fill up the days while they waited for the babies to arrive. McG had flown into DC the day before and the rest of their friends were coming in a couple weeks. No one wanted to miss the birth and they couldn't wait to see if Adam survived the experience. Bets had already been placed that Jaz was going to hurt him at some point in the process.

Jaz made breakfast while McG sat at the table, and teased her about her arms being too short, since her huge stomach kept blocking her access to the counter. In retaliation, Jaz threatened to feed only Adam and he shut his mouth. Breakfast was a fun meal as McG caught them up on his recent activities. Jaz was always amazed by how many things he participated in when they had downtime. Once they'd finished all the food Jaz had assembled, the guys handled the clean up while she walked down the hallway to take a shower and get dressed. Something that took much longer than it used to.

Once they were alone, McG turned the conversation back to Jaz.

"How's she really feeling?"

"Like she's been pregnant for 18 months. She can't sleep on her stomach or her back anymore, anything bigger than small meals make her sick to her stomach, she has to go to the bathroom no less than two times an hour, and she can't take a flight of stairs without being short of breath at the end."

"Okay, that sounds like it sucks. She's cute though. Not an ounce of extra weight on her anywhere. She just looks like she swallowed a beach ball."

"Don't let her hear you say that or you'll be banned from the house. She actually made me sleep at a hotel when I said it."

"You actually did?," McG asked incredulously.

"Not really. I drove down the road from the cabin, parked the car, and stayed in it instead."

"All night?!"

"I made her cry, McG. I felt like a total heel. She was so upset and I could tell that the beach ball comment was the straw that broke the camel's back. I told her I loved her, and would give her some space, but would be back first thing in the morning. It wasn't my finest hour."

"Sounds bad. How long did it take you to get yourself out of the dog house?"

"Things were much better the next morning. I apologized for upsetting her and she admitted she hadn't slept all night because she knew she had overreacted."

"Pregnancy hormones have to suck for her. Her normally focused emotions are probably all over the place, huh?"

"No kidding. A week ago she was crying over a Hallmark commercial but she was so angry that she was crying over something so "stupid". Her words, not mine. I was lucky she didn't put a bullet in the TV," he recalled with a grin.

"Sounds like good times in the Dalton household."

"Yes, indeed. We'll have lots to reminisce about in the future. I'm actually trying to keep her on an even keel because she's still really nervous about whether she'll be able to handle the kids."

"Really? She's great with kids."

"I know but the traumas of her childhood make her anxious. She wants to be better than her parents, which shouldn't be hard, but she's setting such a high bar that she scares herself. I think once the babies come, and she has a chance to do some hands on care, she'll be able to settle down and realize she'll excel at this task just like any other task she's taken on."

"Sounds like a good thing that we're going around to see some of the sites today."

"Yes, it'll be a good distraction, but remember that you'll have to shorten your stride and we can't walk too far in one chunk."

They heard the bathroom door close behind Jaz and looked up to see her heading in their direction. Something about her posture alerted Adam that things were going awry. The hair on the back of his neck stood up a second before she stopped and leaned against the wall. He was on his feet before she even opened her mouth.

"McG," her shaky voice echoed in the hall a second before they watched a gush of fluid appear on the hardwood floor.

"Call an ambulance, Adam," McG called over his shoulder as he hustled to her.

"Everything's going to be fine, Jaz," he reassured, "I'm going to put my arm around your waist and we'll walk over to the couch so you can settle in and wait for the paramedics."

They'd only gone a few steps when she stopped. McG looked down at her and watched as what little color left in her face drained away.

"Something's happening," she groaned as she bent over clutching her stomach.

"Okay, Jaz, Everything is okay. Breathe in and out just like you learned in your class. Remember that this is natural. Scary but natural," McG reminded her.

She nodded her head hesitantly and took another step before stopping again, "I think I need to push," she whispered.

Adam froze in the doorway where he had just finished the phone call to 911. McG watched the man turn paler than he'd ever seen him. So much for being cool under fire. Jaz was terrified too so he took charge.

"Adam, get my bag and some towels. Jaz, I'm going to come behind you and help lower you down to the floor, okay?"

Jaz nodded while she focused on her breathing. She was shaking from pain and fear so he took a second to brush her hair away from her face and reassure her, "I've got this, Jaz. I've delivered babies before and I read up on twin deliveries just for extra knowledge."

He saw his words sink in and Jaz took a deep breath and tried to relax as much as the situation would allow. He settled her on the floor and reached under her dress to pull her underwear off. No wonder she felt like she needed to push. He was looking at a head of dark hair. Adam came running in next to him and dropped his bag and the towels.

"Prop her up against you Adam and hold her hand. You're about to become parents," he said with a big grin.

He rapidly unpacked his bag to have all the supplies he might need handy. He didn't think Jaz or the babies were going to wait for him.

"Okay, Jaz. I'm ready. Go ahead and start pushing. Adam, count to ten for her."

While Adam looked nervous, his voice was calm and soothing. Jaz followed his count, rested between contractions, and on the fourth push the baby came out screaming. He held the little one up for them to see announcing, "It's a boy!"

Jaz looked over for a few seconds as McG wrapped the baby before closing her eyes and groaning in pain. She was sweating heavily from the intense pain as she worked to deliver the babies. McG checked and saw the second head was already in place and that Jaz was bearing down without any instruction. Clearly she was already an expert at birthing. The second baby took a few more pushes but entered the world screaming just as loudly.

"It's a girl!" McG announced.

Jaz started crying and tears tracked down Adam's face as well. McG couldn't prevent some of his own tears from escaping. Assisting with childbirth was one of his favorite things but he'd never thought he'd have the experience that the three of them had just gone through.

The paramedics arrived as he was helping Adam cut the cords and bundle the babies. The paramedics took over with the afterbirth and ultimately moved Jaz onto a stretcher. Adam hovered close by McG and the babies, "Are they okay? They're so early."

"Six weeks isn't terribly early. The biggest concerns are infection, staying warm, and being able to eat on their own. They're breathing just fine. Everything went as well as could be expected. Faster than any of us expected but well."

After one more quick exam of the babies, McG handed Adam his son and then picked up their baby girl, "We're going to place them skin to skin against Jaz's chest and cover her with a blanket. It'll help them stay warm and it'll be good for Jaz to have them close."

They walked to the gurney were a tired and worried Jaz was trying to rest but still looked anxious. McG rushed to reassure her, "They look great, Jaz. Nice work. You're going to hold them against your chest for the trip to the hospital. It'll make them feel safe and keep them warm."

She nodded and they got the babies settled against her. Adam kissed her forehead and wiped away her tears.

"Are you okay, Jaz?"

"A little overwhelmed. This wasn't the plan."

"I know but we improvised successfully. We're really lucky McG was here. Can you imagine if it had been just the two of us?"

Jaz smiled at the thought. She was sure he would have gotten them both through it. He would have been a mess on the inside but she had no doubt he would have been her rock.

"Jaz, look over here. I've got Preach and Amir up on Skype."

McG angled the phone so she and the babies' heads were in the shot.

"Sorry, guys, the babies didn't want to wait for you," she told them.

Amir and Preach were talking over each other excitedly but she gathered they were moving their plane tickets to the next available flights. She looked forward to seeing them but was distracted by the babies moving around on her chest. By the time she paid attention to her surroundings, she was in the back of the ambulance and the phone call was long over. Adam was looking at her from his seat near the head of the bed and had a bemused look on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"If someone had told me a year ago that on this date, my wife Jaz Khan-Dalton, would bless me with two babies I would have sent them for a head scan."

"Yet here we are doing the family thing," she said looking at her munchkins.

"Who would have thought?," he marveled as he brushed his hand reverently over the babies' tiny heads.

Jaz closed her eyes for a second to rest them but ultimately fell asleep. When they arrived at the hospital she woke long enough for the staff to examine her and the babies. The pediatrician confirmed that McG was right to be confident that the babies were fine. They were early but they were big enough to stay warm on their own and were eating from bottles. No stay in the NICU was needed. She closed her eyes again at Adam and McG's encouragement and got her first solid rest in three weeks.

When she next opened her eyes it was the next morning and the view in front of her was precious. McG, Preach, and Amir were sound asleep on the couch and Preach and Amir were each holding a baby who was also sleeping. Adam leaned close to her and whispered, "I already got a picture."

She smiled at him and waved him over to get their kids. She wanted to hold their babies now that she didn't feel so shocky. The men didn't even notice as Adam took them and placed a baby in each of Jaz's arms before kissing her.

"I love you, Jaz."

"I love you more than you'll ever understand," she told him choking back tears.

The next two days were spent introducing the babies to everyone that mattered in their lives. When the baby announcement went out introducing Elijah and Emily Dalton, "Our Family" was at the top of the card in big letters. The picture of the three sleeping men and two sleeping babies was featured prominently as were pictures of Hannah, Noah, and Patricia all holding them for the first time.

As the years passed, Adam and Jaz looked back wondering how they could have ever thought they weren't going to do the family thing. They'd been so sure it wouldn't be in the cards for either of them let alone the two of them together. They'd been blessed beyond measure.


End file.
